Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026
11:31
Analysis of Protein-protein Interactions and Co-localization Between Components of Gap, Tight, and Adherens Junctions in Murine Mammary Glands
Published on: May 30, 2017
10.2K
Reviving lost binding sites: Exploring calcium-binding site transitions between human and murine CD23
Veronica F Ilkow1,2, Anna M Davies1,2, Balvinder Dhaliwal1,2
1Randall Centre for Cell & Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, UK.
FEBS Open Bio
|June 2, 2021
Summary
This study explores how human CD23, a key molecule in allergic responses, differs from its mouse counterpart. Researchers investigated structural and functional changes related to a missing calcium-binding site in human CD23.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Structural Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Immunoglobulin E (IgE) plays a critical role in allergic immune responses.
- CD23 is an IgE receptor that regulates IgE production and function.
- Human CD23, unlike murine CD23, lacks a functional calcium-binding site in its C-type lectin domain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the structural and functional consequences of the absent calcium-binding site in human CD23.
- To compare human and murine CD23 through the creation of mutant proteins with increasing "murine-like" sequences.
- To understand evolutionary differences in CD23 structure and function.
Main Methods:
- Generation of CD23 mutant proteins with progressively murine-like sequences.
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to confirm restoration of the calcium-binding site.
- X-ray crystallography to determine the structures of mutant human CD23 proteins.
Main Results:
- Mutant human CD23 proteins were generated, incorporating features of murine CD23.
- NMR confirmed the presence of the calcium-binding site in engineered mutants.
- X-ray crystallography provided structural insights, though calcium binding was not directly observed.
Conclusions:
- The study elucidates evolutionary divergence between human and murine CD23.
- Structural and functional differences in CD23 across species are highlighted.
- Insights into the role of the calcium-binding site in CD23 structure and function are provided.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
02:40Ligand Binding Sites
Proteins are dynamic macromolecules that carry out a wide variety of essential processes; however, the activities of most proteins depend on their interactions with other molecules or ions, known as ligands.
Protein-ligand interactions are quite specific; even though numerous potential ligands surround a cellular protein at any given time, only a particular ligand can bind to that protein. Moreover, a ligand binds only to a dedicated area on the surface of the protein, known as the...
Protein-ligand interactions are quite specific; even though numerous potential ligands surround a cellular protein at any given time, only a particular ligand can bind to that protein. Moreover, a ligand binds only to a dedicated area on the surface of the protein, known as the...
01:49Conserved Binding Sites
Many proteins’ biological role depends on their interactions with their ligands, small molecules that bind to specific locations on the protein known as ligand-binding sites. Ligand-binding sites are often conserved among homologous proteins as these sites are critical for protein function.
Binding sites are often located in large pockets, and if their location on a protein’s surface is unknown, it can be predicted using various approaches. The energetic method computationally analyses the...
Binding sites are often located in large pockets, and if their location on a protein’s surface is unknown, it can be predicted using various approaches. The energetic method computationally analyses the...
00:49Ligand Binding and Linkage
Allosteric proteins have more than one ligand binding site; the binding of a ligand to any of these sites influences the binding of ligands to the other sites. When a protein is allosteric, its binding sites are called coupled or linked. In the case of enzymes, the site that binds to the substrate is known as the active site and the other site is known as the regulatory site. When a ligand binds to the regulatory site, this leads to conformational changes in the protein that can influence the...
02:40Ligand Binding Sites
Proteins are dynamic macromolecules that carry out a wide variety of essential processes; however, the activities of most proteins depend on their interactions with other molecules or ions, known as ligands.
Protein-ligand interactions are quite specific; even though numerous potential ligands surround a cellular protein at any given time, only a particular ligand can bind to that protein. Moreover, a ligand binds only to a dedicated area on the surface of the protein, known as the...
Protein-ligand interactions are quite specific; even though numerous potential ligands surround a cellular protein at any given time, only a particular ligand can bind to that protein. Moreover, a ligand binds only to a dedicated area on the surface of the protein, known as the...
01:49Conserved Binding Sites
Many proteins’ biological role depends on their interactions with their ligands, small molecules that bind to specific locations on the protein known as ligand-binding sites. Ligand-binding sites are often conserved among homologous proteins as these sites are critical for protein function.
Binding sites are often located in large pockets, and if their location on a protein’s surface is unknown, it can be predicted using various approaches. The energetic method computationally analyses the...
Binding sites are often located in large pockets, and if their location on a protein’s surface is unknown, it can be predicted using various approaches. The energetic method computationally analyses the...