Structure and dynamics of a human myelin protein P2 portal region mutant indicate opening of the beta barrel in fatty acid binding proteins.
Laulumaa, S., Nieminen, T., Raasakka, A., Krokengen, O.C., Safaryan, A., Hallin, E.I., Brysbaert, G., Lensink, M.F., Ruskamo, S., Vattulainen, I., Kursula, P.(2018) BMC Struct Biol 18: 8-8
- PubMed: 29940944 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12900-018-0087-2
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
6EW2, 6EW4, 6EW5 - PubMed Abstract: 
Myelin is a multilayered proteolipid sheath wrapped around selected axons in the nervous system. Its constituent proteins play major roles in forming of the highly regular membrane structure. P2 is a myelin-specific protein of the fatty acid binding protein (FABP) superfamily, which is able to stack lipid bilayers together, and it is a target for mutations in the human inherited neuropathy Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. A conserved residue that has been proposed to participate in membrane and fatty acid binding and conformational changes in FABPs is Phe57. This residue is thought to be a gatekeeper for the opening of the portal region upon ligand entry and egress.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.