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Updated: Aug 15, 2026

In Vitro Analysis of PDZ-dependent CFTR Macromolecular Signaling Complexes
Published on: August 13, 2012
Crystal structure of the hCASK PDZ domain reveals the structural basis of class II PDZ domain target recognition
D L Daniels1, A R Cohen, J M Anderson
1The Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA.
Abstract:
PDZ domain containing proteins assist formation of cell-cell junctions and localization of membrane protein receptors and ion channels. PDZ domains interact with the C-terminal residues of a particular target membrane protein. Based on their binding specificities and sequence homologies, PDZ domains fall into two classes. The first crystal structure of a class II PDZ domain, that of hCASK, has been solved by multi-wavelength anomalous dispersion phasing. Complex formation with the C-terminus of a neighboring non-crystallographically related PDZ domain reveals interactions between hCASK and its ligand. Class II PDZ domains differ from class I domains by formation of a second hydrophobic binding pocket. The C-terminal carboxylate binding loop of the PDZ domain is structurally conserved in both classes suggesting a generalized carboxylate binding motif (h-Gly-h) where h is a hydrophobic residue.
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