The Dos family of globin-related sensors using PAS domains to accommodate haem acting as the active site for sensing external signals.
Sensor proteins play crucial roles in maintaining homeostasis of cells by sensing changes in extra- and intracellular chemical and physical conditions to trigger biological responses. It has recently become clear that gas molecules function as signalling molecules in these biological regulatory systems responsible for transcription, chemotaxis, synthesis/hydrolysis of nucleotide second messengers, and other complex physiological processes. Haem-containing sensor proteins are widely used to sense gas molecules because haem can bind gas molecules reversibly. Ligand binding to the haem in the sensor proteins triggers conformational changes around the haem, which results in their functional regulation. Spectroscopic and crystallographic studies are essential to understand how these sensor proteins function in these biological regulatory systems. In this chapter, I discuss structural and functional relationships of haem-containing PAS and PAS-related families of the sensor proteins.
Okazaki Institute for Integrative Bioscience & Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Japan. Electronic address: aono@ims.ac.jp.
Shigetoshi
S
Aono
D000494:Allosteric Regulation; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005914:Globins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006418:Heme / Q000378:metabolism*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013057:Spectrum Analysis
D006418:Heme; D005914:Globins
Aerotaxis; Chemotaxis; Diguanylate cyclase; EcDos; FixL; Haem-based sensor; PAS domain; Phosphodiesterase; Two-component system