C-reactive protein: structural biology, gene expression, and host defense function.
Over the past few years substantial insight was gained into the biology and biochemistry of human C-reactive protein (CRP). X-ray crystallography in conjunction with mutational analyses, generated the three-dimensional structure of the protein and indicated the topology and structure of ligand-binding sites. Using human CRP transgenic mice infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae, we obtained data that clearly established CRP as an important host defense molecule. Studies using the same mice revealed a previously unknown testosterone-dependence of constitutive expression of human CRP. In this article we provide a brief overview of these recent findings.
Szalai
A J
AJ
Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35294, USA.
Agrawal
A
A
Greenhough
T J
TJ
Volanakis
J E
JE
D000210:Acute-Phase Reaction / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D051379:Mice; D008958:Models, Molecular
D002097:C-Reactive Protein