SelW, a protein containing a selenocysteine (Sec) in a conser- ved Cys-X-X-Sec motif, has been suggested to have an antioxidant role in cell metabolism. SelW is known to specifically interact with different isoforms of 14-3-3 proteins. The latter are involved in several cellular processes such as regulation of the cell cycle, metabolism control, apoptosis, protein trafficking, and gene transcription. 14-3-3 proteins feature a conserved solvent-exposed cysteine residue, in a surface environment prone to induce chemical modifications of the thiol functionality following oxidative stress. The structures of 12 homologous complexes between SelW and 14-3-3 were calculated using sequential alignments, molecular modeling, and docking algorithms guided by known experimental NMR data. These structures reveal the viability of a protein complex in which the conserved Sec residue on SelW approaches the conserved exposed Cys on 14-3-3, making a plausible Sec-Se-S-Cys bond. On the basis of the structural information derived from these calculations, we propose a working hypothesis that entails a role for SelW as a physiological partner of 14-3-3 proteins, able to facilitate a redox-based regulation mechanism.

Interaction of Selenoprotein W with 14-3-3 Proteins: A Computational Approach

MUSIANI, FRANCESCO;CIURLI, STEFANO LUCIANO
2011

Abstract

SelW, a protein containing a selenocysteine (Sec) in a conser- ved Cys-X-X-Sec motif, has been suggested to have an antioxidant role in cell metabolism. SelW is known to specifically interact with different isoforms of 14-3-3 proteins. The latter are involved in several cellular processes such as regulation of the cell cycle, metabolism control, apoptosis, protein trafficking, and gene transcription. 14-3-3 proteins feature a conserved solvent-exposed cysteine residue, in a surface environment prone to induce chemical modifications of the thiol functionality following oxidative stress. The structures of 12 homologous complexes between SelW and 14-3-3 were calculated using sequential alignments, molecular modeling, and docking algorithms guided by known experimental NMR data. These structures reveal the viability of a protein complex in which the conserved Sec residue on SelW approaches the conserved exposed Cys on 14-3-3, making a plausible Sec-Se-S-Cys bond. On the basis of the structural information derived from these calculations, we propose a working hypothesis that entails a role for SelW as a physiological partner of 14-3-3 proteins, able to facilitate a redox-based regulation mechanism.
2011
F. Musiani; A. Dikiy; S. Ciurli
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11585/107262
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