Biomaterial Database

Crystal structure determination of FtsZ from Methanococcus jannaschii. 1998

J Löwe

MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 2QH, UK.

FtsZ is the polymer-forming protein of bacterial cell division. It is part of a ring in the middle of the dividing cell that is required for constriction of cell membrane and cell envelope to yield two daughter cells. FtsZ is a GTPase and is the only bacterial protein showing significant sequence homology to the eukaryotic tubulins. FtsZ can polymerize into tubes, sheets, and rings in vitro and is ubiquitous in eubacteria and archaea. Full-length FtsZ1 from Methanococcus jannaschii has been over expressed in Escherichia coli, employing the hyperthermophilic properties of the protein. Crystals grown from PEG400 and ethanol belong to spacegroup I213 with a = b = c = 159.1 A. Isomorphous replacement using one Hg derivative yielded a interpretable electron density map at 4 A resolution. The structure for residues 23-356 and one GDP has been refined to an Rfree of 0.28 (Rf = 0.20) at 2.8 A resolution. FtsZ consists of two domains with a connecting core helix. The N-terminal domain and the core helix contain all residues involved in nucleotide binding and resemble the fold of dinucleotide-binding proteins. The structures of tubulin and FtsZ show striking similarity; together with the functional similarities, this provides a strong indication that FtsZ is a true homolog of tubulin.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008958	Models, Molecular	Models used experimentally or theoretically to study molecular shape, electronic properties, or interactions; includes analogous molecules, computer-generated graphics, and mechanical structures.	Molecular Models,Model, Molecular,Molecular Model
D011994	Recombinant Proteins	Proteins prepared by recombinant DNA technology.	Biosynthetic Protein,Biosynthetic Proteins,DNA Recombinant Proteins,Recombinant Protein,Proteins, Biosynthetic,Proteins, Recombinant DNA,DNA Proteins, Recombinant,Protein, Biosynthetic,Protein, Recombinant,Proteins, DNA Recombinant,Proteins, Recombinant,Recombinant DNA Proteins,Recombinant Proteins, DNA
D003001	Cloning, Molecular	The insertion of recombinant DNA molecules from prokaryotic and/or eukaryotic sources into a replicating vehicle, such as a plasmid or virus vector, and the introduction of the resultant hybrid molecules into recipient cells without altering the viability of those cells.	Molecular Cloning
D003598	Cytoskeletal Proteins	Major constituent of the cytoskeleton found in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells. They form a flexible framework for the cell, provide attachment points for organelles and formed bodies, and make communication between parts of the cell possible.	Proteins, Cytoskeletal
D001426	Bacterial Proteins	Proteins found in any species of bacterium.	Bacterial Gene Products,Bacterial Gene Proteins,Gene Products, Bacterial,Bacterial Gene Product,Bacterial Gene Protein,Bacterial Protein,Gene Product, Bacterial,Gene Protein, Bacterial,Gene Proteins, Bacterial,Protein, Bacterial,Proteins, Bacterial
D001665	Binding Sites	The parts of a macromolecule that directly participate in its specific combination with another molecule.	Combining Site,Binding Site,Combining Sites,Site, Binding,Site, Combining,Sites, Binding,Sites, Combining
D014404	Tubulin	A microtubule subunit protein found in large quantities in mammalian brain. It has also been isolated from SPERM FLAGELLUM; CILIA; and other sources. Structurally, the protein is a dimer with a molecular weight of approximately 120,000 and a sedimentation coefficient of 5.8S. It binds to COLCHICINE; VINCRISTINE; and VINBLASTINE.	alpha-Tubulin,beta-Tubulin,delta-Tubulin,epsilon-Tubulin,gamma-Tubulin,alpha Tubulin,beta Tubulin,delta Tubulin,epsilon Tubulin,gamma Tubulin
D016133	Polymerase Chain Reaction	In vitro method for producing large amounts of specific DNA or RNA fragments of defined length and sequence from small amounts of short oligonucleotide flanking sequences (primers). The essential steps include thermal denaturation of the double-stranded target molecules, annealing of the primers to their complementary sequences, and extension of the annealed primers by enzymatic synthesis with DNA polymerase. The reaction is efficient, specific, and extremely sensitive. Uses for the reaction include disease diagnosis, detection of difficult-to-isolate pathogens, mutation analysis, genetic testing, DNA sequencing, and analyzing evolutionary relationships.	Anchored PCR,Inverse PCR,Nested PCR,PCR,Anchored Polymerase Chain Reaction,Inverse Polymerase Chain Reaction,Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction,PCR, Anchored,PCR, Inverse,PCR, Nested,Polymerase Chain Reactions,Reaction, Polymerase Chain,Reactions, Polymerase Chain
D017017	Methanococcus	A genus of anaerobic coccoid METHANOCOCCACEAE whose organisms are motile by means of polar tufts of flagella. These methanogens are found in salt marshes, marine and estuarine sediments, and the intestinal tract of animals.
D017433	Protein Structure, Secondary	The level of protein structure in which regular hydrogen-bond interactions within contiguous stretches of polypeptide chain give rise to ALPHA-HELICES; BETA-STRANDS (which align to form BETA-SHEETS), or other types of coils. This is the first folding level of protein conformation.	Secondary Protein Structure,Protein Structures, Secondary,Secondary Protein Structures,Structure, Secondary Protein,Structures, Secondary Protein