EF hand
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The EF hand is a helix-turn-helix structural motif in proteins. It consists of two alpha helices positioned roughly perpendicular to one another and linked by a short loop region (usually about 12 amino acids) that often binds calcium ions. The motif takes its name from traditional nomenclature used in describing the protein parvalbumin, which contains three such motifs and is probably involved in muscle relaxation via its calcium-binding activity. EF hands also appear in each structural domain of the signaling protein calmodulin and in the muscle protein troponin-C.
[edit] Sequence specificity
The calcium ion is bound by both protein backbone atoms and by amino acid side chains, specifically those of aspartate and glutamate. The EF hand motif was among the first structural motifs whose sequence requirements were analyzed in detail. Five of the loop residues bind calcium and thus have a strong preference for oxygen-containing side chains, especially aspartate and glutamate. The sixth residue in the loop is necessarily glycine due to the conformational requirements of the backbone. The remaining residues are typically hydrophobic and form a hydrophobic core that binds the stabilizes the two helices.
Another distinct calcium-binding motif composed of alpha helices is the dockerin domain.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- Branden C, Tooze J. (1999). Introduction to Protein Structure 2nd ed. Garland Publishing: New York, NY.
| Protein secondary structure | ||
|---|---|---|
| Helices: | α-helix | 310 helix | π-helix | β-helix | Polyproline helix | Collagen helix | |
| Extended: | β-strand | Turn | Beta hairpin | Beta bulge | |
| Supersecondary: | Coiled coil | Helix-turn-helix | EF hand | |
| Secondary structure propensities of amino acids | ||
| Helix-favoring: | Methionine | Alanine | Leucine | Glutamic acid | Glutamine | Lysine | |
| Extended-favoring: | Threonine | Isoleucine | Valine | Phenylalanine | Tyrosine | Tryptophan | |
| Disorder-favoring: | Glycine | Serine | Proline | Asparagine | Aspartic acid | |
| No preference: | Cysteine | Histidine | Arginine | |
| ←Primary structure | Tertiary structure→ | |
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