title: The plant cytolytic protein enterolobin assumes a dimeric structure in solution.
abstract: Enterolobin is a plant cytolytic protein similar to the bacterial cytolysin aerolysin. Biochemical and biophysical techniques were used to verify if enterolobin, like aerolysin, adopts a dimeric structure in solution. SDS-PAGE showed bands corresponding to enterolobin monomer, dimer and oligomers, whilst gel filtration chromatography and electrospray mass spectrometry revealed preferred association of enterolobin as a dimer. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) of enterolobin showed images of a dimer assembly at a concentration as low as 10 microg/ml, similarly to aerolysin. The enterolobin in silico docked structure is coherent with AFM enterolobin dimer shapes.
authors.affiliation: Brazilian Center for Protein Research, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasília, 70910-900, Brasília, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvia E T
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Bittencourt
authors.forename: Luciano P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Ricardo B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Azevedo
authors.forename: Ricardo B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Consuelo M R
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Carlos A O
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ricart
authors.forename: Marcelo V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Sousa
mesh_terms: D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000737:chemistry*; D019281:Dimerization; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008958:Models, Molecular; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D012996:Solutions; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
chemical_list: D003603:Cytotoxins; D012996:Solutions