title: The three-dimensional structure of human bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein: implications for understanding protein-lipopolysaccharide interactions.
abstract: Gram-negative bacterial infections are often complicated by the inflammatory properties of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) on or released from the bacterial outer membrane. When present in the mammalian bloodstream, LPS can trigger a series of pathological changes, sometimes resulting in septic shock. Two related mammalian proteins, bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), are known to affect the LPS-induced inflammatory response and are, therefore, of clinical interest. The recently determined three-dimensional structure of human BPI provides information on the overall protein fold, domain organization, and conserved regions of these two proteins. In addition, the discovery of two apolar lipid binding pockets in BPI indicates a possible site of interaction with LPS. The BPI structure is a powerful tool for the design of site-directed mutants, peptide mimetics/inhibitors, and BPI/LBP chimeras. These studies should help further define the functions of BPI and LBP, and their mechanism of interaction with LPS.
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Department, University of Missouri-Columbia 65211, USA. beamerl@missouri.edu
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Beamer
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Eisenberg
mesh_terms: D001770:Blood Bactericidal Activity; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000097:blood*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010539:Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D011485:Protein Binding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides