Primary Citation of Related Structures:   1AUV, 1AUX
PubMed Abstract: 
Synapsins are abundant synaptic vesicle proteins with an essential regulatory function in the nerve terminal. We determined the crystal structure of a fragment (synC) consisting of residues 110-420 of bovine synapsin I; synC coincides with the large middle domain (C-domain), the most conserved domain of synapsins ...
Synapsins are abundant synaptic vesicle proteins with an essential regulatory function in the nerve terminal. We determined the crystal structure of a fragment (synC) consisting of residues 110-420 of bovine synapsin I; synC coincides with the large middle domain (C-domain), the most conserved domain of synapsins. SynC molecules are folded into compact domains and form closely associated dimers. SynC monomers are strikingly similar in structure to a family of ATP-utilizing enzymes, which includes glutathione synthetase and D-alanine:D-alanine ligase. SynC binds ATP in a Ca2+-dependent manner. The crystal structure of synC in complex with ATPgammaS and Ca2+ explains the preference of synC for Ca2+ over Mg2+. Our results suggest that synapsins may also be ATP-utilizing enzymes.
Related Citations: 
Identification, Expression, and Crystallization of the Protease-Resistant Conserved Domain of Synapsin I Wang, C.R., Esser, L., Smagula, C.S., Sudhof, T.C., Deisenhofer, J. (1997) Protein Sci 6: 2264
Synapsins: Mosaics of Shared and Individual Domains in a Family of Synaptic Vesicle Phosphoproteins Sudhof, T.C., Czernik, A.J., Kao, H.T., Takei, K., Johnston, P.A., Horiuchi, A., Kanazir, S.D., Wagner, M.A., Perin, M.S., De Camilli, P., Greengard, P. (1989) Science 245: 1474
Organizational Affiliation: 
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235-9050, USA.