title: Human beta-tryptase is a ring-like tetramer with active sites facing a central pore.
abstract: Human tryptase, a mast-cell-specific serine proteinase that may be involved in causing asthma and other allergic and inflammatory disorders, is unique in two respects: it is enzymatically active only as a heparin-stabilized tetramer, and it is resistant to all known endogenous proteinase inhibitors. The 3-A crystal structure of human beta-tryptase in a complex with 4-amidinophenyl pyruvic acid shows four quasi-equivalent monomers arranged in a square flat ring of pseudo 222 symmetry. Each monomer contacts its neighbours at two different interfaces through six loop segments. These loops are located around the active site of beta-tryptase and differ considerably in length and conformation from loops of other trypsin-like proteinases. The four active centres of the tetramer are directed towards an oval central pore, restricting access for macromolecular substrates and enzyme inhibitors. Heparin chains might stabilize the complex by binding to an elongated patch of positively charged residues spanning two adjacent monomers. The nature of this unique tetrameric architecture explains many of tryptase's biochemical properties and provides a basis for the rational design of monofunctional and bifunctional tryptase inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Strukturforschung, Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried, Germany.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bergner
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Macedo-Ribeiro
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Matschiner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fritz
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Sommerhoff
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bode
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002417:Cattle; D053818:Chymases; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004563:Electrochemistry; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000201:enzymology; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D053802:Tryptases
chemical_list: D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C083294:chymase 2; D053818:Chymases; D053802:Tryptases