Tyrosine-67 in cytochrome c is a possible apoptotic trigger controlled by hydrogen bonds via a conformational transition.
We found that cyt c Y67H and Y67R variants represent a state which resembles the conformational intermediate state in cyt c with high peroxidase activity; and also the hydrogen bond network around Tyr67 is associated with the conformational transition of cyt c; these suggest that the hydrogen bond network around Tyr67 is essential in maintaining the cyt c functioning not only as an electron transfer protein but also probably as a trigger in apoptosis.
Ying
Tianlei
T
Department of Chemistry & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
Wang
Zhong-Hua
ZH
Lin
Ying-Wu
YW
Xie
Jin
J
Tan
Xiangshi
X
Huang
Zhong-Xian
ZX
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D004579:Electron Transport; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000737:chemistry*
D014443:Tyrosine; D045304:Cytochromes c