title: Mammalian sprouty proteins assemble into large monodisperse particles having the properties of intracellular nanobatteries.
abstract: Sprouty proteins act as intracellular inhibitors of receptor tyrosine kinase signaling. Here we show that the mammalian Sprouty2 protein contains an iron-sulfur complex that can exist in an oxidized, reduced, or nitrosylated state. Purified Sprouty2 assembles into large monodisperse spheres containing approximately 24 polypeptides per particle. Biochemical experiments indicate that the charge state of the iron within Sprouty2 particles may be insulated from ambient intracellular redox. These features offer the possibility that Sprouty2 particles are capable of receiving, maintaining, and dissipating electrical charge in a manner formally equivalent to a battery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
authors.forename: Xinle
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Peter B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Masahide
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kikkawa
authors.forename: Pia D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.forename: Steven L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: McKnight
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000818:Animals; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; C118389:Spry2 protein, mouse