The high-resolution three-dimensional structure of the plant toxin viscotoxin A3, from Viscum album L., has been determined in solution by 1H NMR spectroscopy at pH 3.6 and 12°C (the structure has been deposited in the Protein Data Bank under the id. code 1ED0). Experimentally derived restraints including 734 interproton distances from nuclear Overhauser effect measurements, 22 hydrogen bonds, 32ϕ angle restraints from J coupling measurements, together with three disulphide bridge constraints were used as input in restrained molecular dynamics, followed by minimization, using DYANA and Discover. Backbone and heavy atom root-mean-square deviations were 0.47±0.11Å (1Å = 10-10 m) and 0.85±0.13Å respectively. Viscotoxin A3 consists of two α-helices connected by a turn and a short stretch of antiparallel β-sheet. This fold is similar to that found in other thionins, such as crambin, hordothionin-α and -β, phoratoxin A and purothionin-α and -β. The difference in the observed biological activity for thionins of known structure is discussed in terms of the differences in the calculated surface potential distribution, playing an important role in their function through disruption of cell membranes. In addition, the possible role in DNA binding of the helix–turn–helix motif of viscotoxin A3 is discussed.
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September 2000
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Research Article|
August 23 2000
NMR structural determination of viscotoxin A3 from Viscum album L.
Silvia ROMAGNOLI;
Silvia ROMAGNOLI
*Dipartimento Scientifico e Tecnologico, Cà Vignal 1, Strada le Grazie, 37134 Verona, Italy
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Raffaella UGOLINI;
Raffaella UGOLINI
*Dipartimento Scientifico e Tecnologico, Cà Vignal 1, Strada le Grazie, 37134 Verona, Italy
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Federico FOGOLARI;
Federico FOGOLARI
*Dipartimento Scientifico e Tecnologico, Cà Vignal 1, Strada le Grazie, 37134 Verona, Italy
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Gerhard SCHALLER;
Gerhard SCHALLER
†Verein für Krebsforschung, Hischia Institute, CH 4144 Arlesheim, Switzerland
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Konrad URECH;
Konrad URECH
†Verein für Krebsforschung, Hischia Institute, CH 4144 Arlesheim, Switzerland
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Matteo GIANNATTASIO;
Matteo GIANNATTASIO
‡Dipartimento di Arboricoltura, Botanica e Patologia Vegetale, Facoltà di Agraria, Università di Napoli, Portici, 80100 Napoli, Italy
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Laura RAGONA;
Laura RAGONA
§Laboratorio NMR, Istituto di Chimica delle Macromolecole, Via Ampère 56, 20131 Milano, Italy
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Henriette MOLINARI
Henriette MOLINARI
1
*Dipartimento Scientifico e Tecnologico, Cà Vignal 1, Strada le Grazie, 37134 Verona, Italy
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (e-mail henry@labnmr.icmnmr.mi.cnr.it).
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
March 22 2000
Revision Received:
May 24 2000
Accepted:
July 03 2000
Online ISSN: 1470-8728
Print ISSN: 0264-6021
The Biochemical Society, London © 2000
2000
Biochem J (2000) 350 (2): 569–577.
Article history
Received:
March 22 2000
Revision Received:
May 24 2000
Accepted:
July 03 2000
Citation
Silvia ROMAGNOLI, Raffaella UGOLINI, Federico FOGOLARI, Gerhard SCHALLER, Konrad URECH, Matteo GIANNATTASIO, Laura RAGONA, Henriette MOLINARI; NMR structural determination of viscotoxin A3 from Viscum album L.. Biochem J 1 September 2000; 350 (2): 569–577. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/bj3500569
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