title: Structural basis of mRNA cap recognition by proteins.
abstract: Crystal structures have recently become available for two proteins (VP39 and eIF4E) complexed with their cognate ligand - the mRNA cap. Despite their total structural dissimilarity, both proteins bind N7-methylguanine between two parallel aromatic sidechains. The resulting stacked arrangement governs their high specificity for the alkylated form of the nucleobase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and the Structural and Computational Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Molecular Biophysics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. faq@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Quiocho
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Gershon
mesh_terms: D000478:Alkylation; D001665:Binding Sites; D039561:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-4E; D006147:Guanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D010448:Peptide Initiation Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012315:RNA Caps / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000737:chemistry*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D039561:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-4E; D010448:Peptide Initiation Factors; D012315:RNA Caps; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C088682:VP39 protein, Vaccinia virus; D014764:Viral Proteins; D006147:Guanine; C008450:7-methylguanine