title: Extracellular calcium-binding proteins.
abstract: Point mutations in Ca2+-binding sites of extracellular matrix proteins have been identified as the cause of human disorders such as Marfansyndrome and pseudoachondroplasia. Although the modes of Ca2+ binding and the effects of point mutations are not yet understood in these two cases, new insight was recently gained by X-ray and NMR structure determinations of several other extracellular proteins; these studies revealed a diversity of functions of Ca2+ ions. Ca2+ may induce a profound conformational change within a single domain, may bridge adjacent domains and thus direct the relative domain orientation and supramolecular structure, or may be involved in carbohydrate and membrane binding.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Köln, Joseph-Stelzmann-Strasse 52, 50931 Köln, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maurer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hohenester
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Engel
mesh_terms: D015055:1-Carboxyglutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015676:Osteonectin / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D037102:Lectins; D015676:Osteonectin; D015055:1-Carboxyglutamic Acid; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D002118:Calcium