SpHyastatin was first identified as a new cationic antimicrobial peptide in hemocytes of the mud crab Scylla paramamosain. Based on the amino acid sequences deduced, it was predicted that this peptide was composed of two different functional domains, a proline-rich domain (PRD) and a cysteine-rich domain (CRD). The recombinant product of SpHyastatin displayed potent antimicrobial activities aga...

The protein encoded by the GAL4 gene of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae binds to DNA upstream of several genes and activates transcription. To try to understand these processes, we have undertaken a genetic analysis of GAL4. Here we report that nearly all missense mutations in GAL4, selected in vivo to lack function of the protein, cluster in the small region of the gene that encodes the DNA...

Proteins sequestered within organelles of the apical complex of malaria merozoites are involved in erythrocyte invasion, but few of these proteins and their interaction with the host erythrocyte have been characterized. In this report we describe MAEBL, a family of erythrocyte binding proteins identified in the rodent malaria parasites Plasmodium yoelii yoelii and Plasmodium berghei. MAEBL has ...

Proteins sequestered within organelles of the apical complex of malaria merozoites are involved in erythrocyte invasion, but few of these proteins and their interaction with the host erythrocyte have been characterized. In this report we describe MAEBL, a family of erythrocyte binding proteins identified in the rodent malaria parasites Plasmodium yoelii yoelii and Plasmodium berghei. MAEBL has ...

The recently identified gamma-aminobutyric acid type B receptors (GABA(B)Rs) share low sequence similarity with the metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors. Like the mGlu receptors, the N-terminal extracellular domain (NTED) of GABA(B)Rs is proposed to be related to bacterial periplasmic binding proteins (PBPs). However, in contrast to the mGlu receptors, the GABA(B)Rs lack a cysteine-rich regi...

hirudin is an anticoagulant agent of the salivary glands of the medicinal leech. recombinant hirudin (r-hir) displays certain drawbacks including bleeding and immunogenicity. to solve these problems, cysteine-specific pegylation has been proposed as a successful technique. however, proper selection of the appropriate cysteine residue for substitution is a critical step. this study has, for the ...

Ras and Raf-kinase interact through the Ras-binding (RBD) cysteine-rich domains (CRD) of Raf to signal mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, yet molecular mechanism leading activation has remained elusive. We present 2.8 Å crystal structure HRas–CRaf-RBD_CRD complex showing Ras–Raf interface as a continuous surface on Ras, seen in KRas–CRaf-RBD_CRD structure. In dynamics simulations dimer m...

mRNA about 2.5 kb, 263 residues in full-length translated protein, which contains an N-terminal signal peptide, followed by two cysteine-rich furin-like domains, one thrombospondin type 1 domain (TSP1 domain) and a putative C-terminal nuclear localization signal domain. Three alternatively spliced isoforms have been identified: one lacking the signal peptide encoded by exon 4, one lacking the t...

The metalloproteome is defined as the set of proteins that have metal-binding capacity by being metalloproteins or having metal-binding sites. A different metalloproteome may exist for each metal. Mass spectrometric characterization of metalloproteomes provides valuable information relating to cellular disposition of metals physiologically and in metal-associated diseases. We examined the Cu an...

Silver toxicity is a problem that microorganisms face in medical and environmental settings. Through exposure to silver compounds, some bacteria have adapted to growth in high concentrations of silver ions. Such adapted microbes may be dangerous as pathogens but, alternatively, could be potentially useful in nanomaterial-manufacturing applications. While naturally adapted isolates typically uti...