3J89

Structural Plasticity of Helical Nanotubes Based on Coiled-Coil Assemblies

Summary for 3J89

• Entry DOI: 10.2210/pdb3j89/pdb
• EMDB information: 6123
• Descriptor: synthetic peptide (1 entity in total)
• Functional Keywords: coiled-coil, synthetic peptide, nanotube, helical filament
• Biological source: synthetic construct
• Total number of polymer chains: 19
• Total formula weight: 62886.14

Authors

Egelman, E.H.,Xu, C.,DiMaio, F.,Magnotti, E.,Modlin, C.,Yu, X.,Wright, E.,Baker, D.,Conticello, V.P. (deposition date: 2014-10-07, release date: 2015-02-11, Last modification date: 2024-02-21)

Primary citation

Egelman, E.H.,Xu, C.,DiMaio, F.,Magnotti, E.,Modlin, C.,Yu, X.,Wright, E.,Baker, D.,Conticello, V.P.
Structural plasticity of helical nanotubes based on coiled-coil assemblies.
Structure, 23:280-289, 2015

PubMed Abstract: Numerous instances can be seen in evolution in which protein quaternary structures have diverged while the sequences of the building blocks have remained fairly conserved. However, the path through which such divergence has taken place is usually not known. We have designed two synthetic 29-residue α-helical peptides, based on the coiled-coil structural motif, that spontaneously self-assemble into helical nanotubes in vitro. Using electron cryomicroscopy with a newly available direct electron detection capability, we can achieve near-atomic resolution of these thin structures. We show how conservative changes of only one or two amino acids result in dramatic changes in quaternary structure, in which the assemblies can be switched between two very different forms. This system provides a framework for understanding how small sequence changes in evolution can translate into very large changes in supramolecular structure, a phenomenon that may have significant implications for the de novo design of synthetic peptide assemblies.

PubMed: 25620001
DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2014.12.008

Experimental method

ELECTRON MICROSCOPY (3.6 Å)