title: Toward the functional oligomerization state of tryptophan-rich sensory proteins.
abstract: A conserved family of tryptophan-rich sensory proteins (TspO) mediates the transport of heme degradation intermediates across membranes. In eukaryotes, the homologous mitochondrial translocator protein (TSPO) binds cholesterol and radioligands as monomer. On the basis of the mammalian TSPO structure, bioinformatic analysis, and a 10 Å resolution electron microscopy map of TspO from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, we developed a model of the tertiary and quaternary structure of TspO that is in agreement with available mutagenesis data. Our study provides insight into the conformational basis for the restricted interaction of bacterial TspO with radioligands and the functional oligomerization state of bacterial TspO proteins.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie, 37077, Göttingen, Germany; Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Lukasz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jaremko
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jaremko
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zweckstetter
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001692:Biological Transport; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011487:Protein Conformation; D021381:Protein Transport; D012242:Rhodobacter sphaeroides / Q000737:chemistry*; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D014364:Tryptophan
keywords: membrane protein; mitochondria; oligomerization; receptor; structure