Function from structure? The crystal structure of human phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein suggests a role in membrane signal transduction.
Banfield, M.J., Barker, J.J., Perry, A.C., Brady, R.L.(1998) Structure 6: 1245-1254
- PubMed: 9782050 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0969-2126(98)00125-7
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
1BD9, 1BEH - PubMed Abstract: 
Proteins belonging to the phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein (PEBP) family are highly conserved throughout nature and have no significant sequence homology with other proteins of known structure or function. A variety of biological roles have previously been described for members of this family, including lipid binding, roles as odorant effector molecules or opioids, interaction with the cell-signalling machinery, regulation of flowering plant stem architecture, and a function as a precursor protein of a bioactive brain neuropeptide. To date, no experimentally derived structural information has been available for this protein family. In this study we have used X-ray crystallography to determine the three-dimensional structure of human PEBP (hPEBP), in an attempt to clarify the biological role of this unique protein family.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Department of Biochemistry University of Bristol Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK. M.Banfield@bristol.ac.uk