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The tetrameric L27 domain complex as an organization platform for supramolecular assemblies

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology volume 11, pages 475–480 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

L27 domain, initially identified in the Caenorhabditis elegans Lin-2 and Lin-7 proteins, is a protein interaction module that exists in a large family of scaffold proteins. The domain can function as an organization center of large protein assemblies required for establishment and maintenance of cell polarity. We have solved the high-resolution NMR structure of a tetrameric complex of L27 domains containing two SAP97–mLin-2 L27 domain heterodimers. Each L27 domain contains three a-helices. The first two helices of each domain are packed together to form a four-helical bundle in the heterodimer. The third helix of each L27 domain forms another four-helical bundle that assembles the two heterodimers into a tetramer. The structure of the complex provides a mechanistic explanation for L27 domain–mediated polymerization of scaffold proteins, a process that is crucial for the assembly of supramolecular complexes in asymmetric cells.

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Figure 1: Structure of the SAP97–mLin-2 L27 tetramer complex.
Figure 2: Detailed interactions between the L27 domains.
Figure 3: Dissection of the L27S–L27N complex.

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Acknowledgements

We thank D. Bredt for providing cDNAs of SAP97 and mLin-2 and for numerous insightful discussions, H. Tochio and J. Tame for collecting ultracentrifugation data, M. Li for technical help and D. Banfield for comments on the manuscript. This work was supported by grants from the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong to M.Z. The NMR spectrometer used in this work was purchased with funds donated to the Biotechnology Research Institute by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. M.Z. is a Croucher Foundation senior research fellow.

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  1. Wei Feng and Jia-Fu Long: These authors contributed equally to this work.

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  1. Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Neuroscience Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China

    Wei Feng, Jia-Fu Long, Jing-Song Fan, Tetsuya Suetake & Mingjie Zhang

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Correspondence to Mingjie Zhang.

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Feng, W., Long, JF., Fan, JS. et al. The tetrameric L27 domain complex as an organization platform for supramolecular assemblies. Nat Struct Mol Biol 11, 475–480 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb751

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