Hi Jacob, as far as I understand it, proteins also oligomerise to share a stable core. For example, some proteins form tetramers and minimise the material needed to form a scaffold around their active centres. Could that be the case for your protein as well?
Best regards, Daniel -- Daniel Schlieper, PhD email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Molecular Motors Group phone: +44 1883 722306 (x 305) Marie Curie Research Institute fax : +44 1883 714375 The Chart, Oxted RH8 0TL, UK web : http://mc11.mcri.ac.uk On Wed, 15 Aug 2007, Jacob Keller wrote: > Sorry about this not being exactly CCP4 related, but I think it is still of > general interest to the > structural biology community: > > I am dealing with a membrane protein which seems, on the surface, to present > a contradiction: > > We know from western blots and other data that this protein forms oligomers > vehemently, which are > all but impervious to monomerization under the most ruthless conditions--we > cannot completely > monomerize it. We have tried DTT, EDT, BME, all concentrations of SDS, PFO, > temperature, and salt, > and in various combinations (further suggestions are welcome.) Suffice it to > say, this thing is a > bona fide vicious oligomer. > > Here is the paradox: the functional data, on the surface, seem to imply that > the protein acts > independently, as if a monomer, without being influenced by its (tight) > oligomeric partners, even > though we think the functional mechanism is a conformational change. Is such > a thing observed in > the biochemical world? Are there any homo-oligomeric proteins out there, > membrane-bound or > otherwise, which exhibit conformational changes, and yet the protomers do not > influence each other? > > If so, if the oligomerization has no functional significance, and the > subunits do not exhibit > crosstalk, what on earth is the reason for their oligomerization? > > All hypotheses and especially references would be greatly appreciated, > > Jacob Keller > > > *********************************** > Jacob Keller > Northwestern University > 6541 N. Francisco #3 > Chicago IL 60645 > (847)467-4049 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > *********************************** >
