Structure of Ecballium Elaterium Trypsin Inhibitor II (Eeti-II): A Rigid Molecular Scaffold
Kraetzner, R., Debreczeni, J.E., Pape, T., Schneider, T.R., Wentzel, A., Kolmar, H., Sheldrick, G.M., Uson, I.(2005) Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr 61: 1255
- PubMed: 16131759 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1107/S0907444905021207
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
1H9H, 1H9I, 1W7Z - PubMed Abstract: 
The Ecballium elaterium trypsin inhibitor II (EETI-II) belongs to the family of squash inhibitors and is one of the strongest inhibitors known for trypsin. The eight independent molecules of EETI-II in the crystal structure reported here provide a good opportunity to test the hypothesis that this small cystine-knot protein (knottin) is sufficiently rigid to be used as a molecular scaffold for protein-engineering purposes. To extend this test, the structures of two complexes of EETI-II with trypsin have also been determined, one carrying a four-amino-acid mutation of EETI-II. The remarkable similarity of these structures confirms the rigidity of the molecular framework and hence its suitability as a molecular scaffold.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Lehrstuhl für Strukturchemie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Tammannstrasse 4, D37077 Göttingen, Germany.