title: Human melanotransferrin (p97) has only one functional iron-binding site.
abstract: The iron-binding properties of melanotransferrin, the tumour-associated antigen also known as p97, have been investigated by UV/visible and fluorescence spectroscopy, amino acid sequence comparison, and modelling. These show that, in contrast to other transferrins, melanotransferrin binds only one Fe3+ ion per molecule. The binding properties of its N-terminal site are similar to other transferrins, but its C-terminal site does not bind iron at all. The differences can be related to specific amino acid changes in the C-terminal site.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
authors.forename: E N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Stebbins
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kahn
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Hellström
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hellström
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D001665:Binding Sites; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008545:Melanoma; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D007501:Iron