title: Structural analysis of emerin, an inner nuclear membrane protein mutated in X-linked Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy.
abstract: Like Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies, Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD) is characterized by myopathic and cardiomyopathic abnormalities. EDMD has the particularity of being linked to mutations in nuclear proteins. The X-linked form of EDMD is caused by mutations in the emerin gene, whereas autosomal dominant EDMD is caused by mutations in the lamin A/C gene. Emerin colocalizes with lamin A/C in interphase cells, and binds in vitro to lamin A/C. Recent work suggests that lamin A/C might serve as a receptor for emerin. We have undertaken a structural analysis of emerin, and in particular of its N-terminal domain, which is comprised in the emerin segment critical for binding to lamin A/C. We show that region 2-54 of emerin adopts the LEM fold. This fold was originally described in the two N-terminal domains of another inner nuclear membrane protein called lamina-associated protein 2 (LAP2). The existence of a conserved solvent-exposed surface on the LEM domains of LAP2 and emerin is discussed, as well as the nature of a possible common target.
authors.affiliation: Département d' Ingénierie et d' Etudes des Protéines, CEA Saclay, Gif sur-Yvette, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gilquin
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Courchay
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Callebaut
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Worman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zinn-Justin
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020389:Muscular Dystrophy, Emery-Dreifuss / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012996:Solutions / Q000737:chemistry; D013946:Thymopoietins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D014960:X Chromosome
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012996:Solutions; D013946:Thymopoietins; C092710:emerin