Purification, crystallization and X-ray structures of the two manganese superoxide dismutases from Caenorhabditis elegans
Trinh, C.H., Hunter, T., Stewart, E.E., Phillips, S.E., Hunter, G.J.(2008) Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun 64: 1110-1114
- PubMed: 19052361 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1107/S1744309108037056
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
3DC5, 3DC6 - PubMed Abstract: 
Caenorhabditis elegans expresses two manganese superoxide dismutase enzymes (MnSOD-2 and MnSOD-3) that are targeted to the mitochondrion. MnSOD-2 is constitutively expressed, while synthesis of MnSOD-3 is inducible. The structures of these two mononuclear metalloenzymes have been determined to 1.8 and 1.7 A resolution, respectively. Pink crystals formed in space group P4(1)2(1)2 for each, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 81.0, c = 137.4 A for MnSOD-2 and a = b = 81.8, c = 136.0 A for MnSOD-3. The final structure of MnSOD-3 was refined to R = 21.6% and R(free) = 26.2% at 293 K, and R = 18.9% and R(free) = 22.6% at 100 K, while that of MnSOD-2 was refined to R = 16.9% and R(free) = 20.1% at 100 K. The asymmetric unit cell is comprised of two subunits. The resulting structures are very similar to that of human MnSOD and form a tetramer corresponding to a dimer of dimers. The subunit interface between dimers is comprised of two four-helix bundles that stabilize the biologically significant homotetramer.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, England.