Activation of Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase through a disorder-->order transition of the substrate-binding site mediated by a calcium-sodium-calcium metal triad.
Machius, M., Declerck, N., Huber, R., Wiegand, G.(1998) Structure 6: 281-292
- PubMed: 9551551 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0969-2126(98)00032-x
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
1BLI - PubMed Abstract: 
The structural basis as to how metals regulate the functional state of a protein by altering or stabilizing its conformation has been characterized in relatively few cases because the metal-free form of the protein is often partially disordered and unsuitable for crystallographic analysis. This is not the case, however, for Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase (BLA) for which the structure of the metal-free form is available. BLA is a hyperthermostable enzyme which is widely used in biotechnology, for example in the breakdown of starch or as a component of detergents. The determination of the structure of BLA in the metal-containing form, together with comparisons to the apo enzyme, will help us to understand the way in which metal ions can regulate enzyme activity.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany. machius@chop.swmed.edu