Structure of a Nudix protein from Pyrobaculum aerophilum reveals a dimer with two intersubunit beta-sheets.
Wang, S., Mura, C., Sawaya, M.R., Cascio, D., Eisenberg, D.(2002) Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr 58: 571-578
- PubMed: 11914479 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1107/s0907444902001191
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
1JRK, 1K26, 1K2E - PubMed Abstract: 
Nudix proteins, formerly called MutT homolog proteins, are a large family of proteins that play an important role in reducing the accumulation of potentially toxic compounds inside the cell. They hydrolyze a wide variety of substrates that are mainly composed of a nucleoside diphosphate linked to some other moiety X and thus are called Nudix hydrolases. Here, the crystal structure of a Nudix hydrolase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrobaculum aerophilum is reported. The structure was determined by the single-wavelength anomalous scattering method with data collected at the peak anomalous wavelength of an iridium-derivatized crystal. It reveals an extensive dimer interface, with each subunit contributing two strands to the beta-sheet of the other subunit. Individual subunits consist of a mixed highly twisted and curved beta-sheet of 11 beta-strands and two alpha-helices, forming an alpha-beta-alpha sandwich. The conserved Nudix box signature motif, which contains the essential catalytic residues, is located at the first alpha-helix and the beta-strand and loop preceding it. The unusually short connections between secondary-structural elements, together with the dimer form of the structure, are likely to contribute to the thermostability of the P. aerophilum Nudix protein.
Organizational Affiliation: 
UCLA-DOE Laboratory of Structure Biology, 611 Charles E. Young Drive East, 201 Boyer Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1570, USA.