title: Asymmetric perturbations of signalling oligomers.
abstract: This review focuses on rapid and reversible noncovalent interactions for symmetric oligomers of signalling proteins. Symmetry mismatch, transient symmetry breaking and asymmetric perturbations via chemical (ligand binding) and physical (electric or mechanic) effects can initiate the signalling events. Advanced biophysical methods can reveal not only structural symmetries of stable membrane-bound signalling proteins but also asymmetric functional transition states. Relevant techniques amenable to distinguish between symmetric and asymmetric architectures are discussed including those with the capability of capturing low-populated transient conformational states. Typical examples of signalling proteins are overviewed for symmetry breaking in dimers (GPCRs, growth factor receptors, transcription factors); trimers (acid-sensing ion channels); tetramers (voltage-gated cation channels, ionotropic glutamate receptor, CNG and CHN channels); pentameric ligand-gated and mechanosensitive channels; higher order oligomers (gap junction channel, chaperonins, proteasome, virus capsid); as well as primary and secondary transporters. In conclusion, asymmetric perturbations seem to play important functional roles in a broad range of communicating networks.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre of Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 17, H-1525 Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: maksay.gabor@ttk.mta.hu.
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maksay
authors.affiliation: Research Centre of Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 17, H-1525 Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Organic Chemistry, P.O. Box 17, H-1525 Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Orsolya
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tőke
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins
keywords: Asymmetric activation; Biophysical structural techniques; Ion channels; Symmetric protein oligomers; Symmetry-asymmetry distinction; Transporters