title: The crystal structure of Dps, a ferritin homolog that binds and protects DNA.
abstract: The crystal structure of Dps, a DNA-binding protein from starved E. coli that protects DNA from oxidative damage, has been solved at 1.6 A resolution. The Dps monomer has essentially the same fold as ferritin, which forms a 24-mer with 432 symmetry, a hollow core and pores at the three-fold axes. Dps forms a dodecamer with 23 (tetrahedral) point group symmetry which also has a hollow core and pores at the three-folds. The structure suggests a novel DNA-binding motif and a mechanism for DNA protection based on the sequestration of Fe ions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Filman
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Finkel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kolter
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hogle
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001665:Binding Sites; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology; D005293:Ferritins / Q000737:chemistry*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017354:Point Mutation; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017510:Protein Folding; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C083911:DPS protein, Bacteria; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004247:DNA; D005293:Ferritins