The world's first wiki where authorship really matters (Nature Genetics, 2008). Due credit and reputation for authors. Imagine a global collaborative knowledge base for original thoughts. Search thousands of articles and collaborate with scientists around the globe.

wikigene or wiki gene protein drug chemical gene disease author authorship tracking collaborative publishing evolutionary knowledge reputation system wiki2.0 global collaboration genes proteins drugs chemicals diseases compound
Hoffmann, R. A wiki for the life sciences where authorship matters. Nature Genetics (2008)
 
 
 
 
 

X-ray crystal structure of MENT: evidence for functional loop-sheet polymers in chromatin condensation.

Most serpins are associated with protease inhibition, and their ability to form loop-sheet polymers is linked to conformational disease and the human serpinopathies. Here we describe the structural and functional dissection of how a unique serpin, the non-histone architectural protein, MENT (Myeloid and Erythroid Nuclear Termination stage-specific protein), participates in DNA and chromatin condensation. Our data suggest that MENT contains at least two distinct DNA-binding sites, consistent with its simultaneous binding to the two closely juxtaposed linker DNA segments on a nucleosome. Remarkably, our studies suggest that the reactive centre loop, a region of the MENT molecule essential for chromatin bridging in vivo and in vitro, is able to mediate formation of a loop-sheet oligomer. These data provide mechanistic insight into chromatin compaction by a non-histone architectural protein and suggest how the structural plasticity of serpins has adapted to mediate physiological, rather than pathogenic, loop-sheet linkages.[1]

References

  1. X-ray crystal structure of MENT: evidence for functional loop-sheet polymers in chromatin condensation. McGowan, S., Buckle, A.M., Irving, J.A., Ong, P.C., Bashtannyk-Puhalovich, T.A., Kan, W.T., Henderson, K.N., Bulynko, Y.A., Popova, E.Y., Smith, A.I., Bottomley, S.P., Rossjohn, J., Grigoryev, S.A., Pike, R.N., Whisstock, J.C. EMBO J. (2006) [Pubmed]
 
WikiGenes - Universities