The N-lobe of human serum transferrin (hTF/2N) has been expressed in baby hamster kidney cells and crystallized in both orthorhombic (P212121) and tetragonal (P41212) space groups. Both crystal forms diffract to high resolution (1.6 and 1.8 A, respectively) and have been solved by molecular replacement. Subsequent refinement resulted in final models for the structure of hTF/2N that had crystallographic R-factors of 18.1 and 19.7% for the two crystal forms, respectively; these models represent the highest-resolution transferrin structures determined to date. The hTF/2N polypeptide has a folding pattern similar to those of other transferrins, including the presence of a deep cleft that contains the metal-binding site. In contrast to other transferrins, both crystal forms of hTF/2N display disorder at the iron-binding site; model building suggests that this disorder consists of alternative conformations of the synergistically bound carbonate anion, the side chain for Arg-124, and several solvent molecules. Subsequent refinement revealed that conformation A has an occupancy of 0.63-0. 65 and corresponds to the structure of the iron-binding site found in other transferrins. The alternative conformation B has an occupancy of 0.35-0.37; in this structure, the carbonate has rotated 30 degrees relative to the iron and the side chain for Arg-124 has moved to accommodate the new carbonate position. Several water molecules appear to stabilize the carbonate anion in the two conformations. These structures are consistent with the protonation of the carbonate and resulting partial removal of the anion from the metal; these events would occur prior to cleft opening and metal release.

Proteins of the transferrin family, which contains serum transferrin and lactoferrin, control iron levels in higher animals through their very tight (Kapp approximately 10(20)) but reversible binding of iron. These bilobate molecules have two binding sites, one per lobe, each housing one Fe3+ and the synergistic CO3(2-) ion. Crystallographic studies of human lactoferrin and rabbit serum transferrin in their iron-bound forms have characterized their binding sites and protein structure. Physical studies show that a substantial conformational change accompanies iron binding and release. We have addressed this phenomenon through crystal structure analysis of human apolactoferrin at 2.8 A resolution. In this structure the N-lobe binding cleft is wide open, following a domain rotation of 53 degrees, mediated by the pivoting of two helices and flexing of two interdomain polypeptide strands. Remarkably, the C-lobe cleft is closed, but unliganded. These observations have implications for transferrin function and for binding proteins in general.

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The three-dimensional structure of human milk lactoferrin, a member of the transferrin family, has been determined crystallographically at 3.2-resolution. The molecule has two-fold internal homology. The N-and C-terminal halves form two separate globular lobes, connected by a short a-helix, and carry one iron-binding site each. Each lobe has the same folding, based on two domains of similar supersecondary structure, with the iron site at the domain interface. Each iron atom is coordinated by four protein ligands: two tyrosines, one histidine, and one aspartate. A probable CO2-(or HCO5) ion is suggested by the electron density, bound to iron and adjacent to an arginine side chain and a helix N terminus. The protein folding and location of the binding sites show marked similarities with those of other binding proteins, notably the sulfatebinding protein from Salmonella typhimurium.Lactoferrin [also known as lactotransferrin (1)] is a member of the family of iron-binding proteins that also includes transferrin and ovotransferrin (2,3). These proteins are widely distributed in the physiological fluids of vertebrates. Although they have been the subject of intensive investigation over many years no definitive three-dimensional structural information has hitherto been available. All are monomeric glycoproteins with =700 amino acid residues and molecular weight -80,000. Each binds reversibly two iron atoms (as Fe3"), concomitantly with two C02- (or HCO ) ions. Notable features of their binding properties are (i) the synergistic relationship between cation and anion binding (4), (ii) the extremely tight binding of iron (binding constant 1020 for lactoferrin), and (iii) the fact that this tightly bound iron is nevertheless available in vivo, apparently through binding at specific receptors (5, 6).The known or proposed biological functions ofthe transferrins depend on their iron-binding properties. Thus serum transferrin, the iron transport protein in plasma, provides an iron source for hemoglobin synthesis and other metabolic requirements. Lactoferrin, widely distributed through many exocrine secretions, notably milk, and an important component of leukocytes, has strong bacteriostatic properties (7). These result from its avidity for iron, depriving bacteria of iron essential for growth. It may also protect cells from free radical damage by binding potentially catalytic free iron (8).All three proteins have bilobal structures. This is indicated by (i) fragmentation studies (ref. 9 and references therein), which demonstrate that the polypeptide chain can be cleaved into two halves, each carrying one iron site, and (ii) lowresolution x-ray studies (10). Amino acid sequence alignments (11) show that, in addition to the extensive homology between different transferring, each also shows strong twofold internal homology, indicative of gene duplication from a one-iron 40,000 molecular weight precursor molecule. For lactoferrin, there is =40% sequence identity between its Nand C-terminal halves.Here we report the resu...

Iron is essential to life, but poses severe problems because of its toxicity and the insolubility of hydrated ferric ions at neutral pH. In animals, a family of proteins called transferrins are responsible for the sequestration, transport, and distribution of free iron. Comparison of the structure and function of transferrins with a completely unrelated protein hemopexin, which carries out the same function for heme, identifies molecular features that contribute to a successful protein system for iron acquisition, transport, and release. These include a two-domain protein structure with flexible hinges that allow these domains to enclose the bound ligand and provide suitable chemistry for stable binding and an appropriate trigger for release.

The three-dimensional structure of the diferric form of human lactoferrin has been refined at 2.2 A resolution, using synchrotron data combined with a lower resolution (3.2 A) diffractometer data set. Following restrained least-squares refinement and model rebuilding the final model comprises 5330 protein atoms (691 residues), 2Fe(3+) and 2CO(3)(2-) ions, 469 solvent molecules and 98 carbohydrate atoms (eight sugar residues). Root-mean-square deviations from standard geometry are 0.015 A for bond lengths and 0.038 A for angle (1-3) distances, and the final crystallographic R-factor is 0.179 for all 39 113 reflections in the resolution range 8.0-2.2 A. A close structural similarity is seen between the two lobes of the molecule, with differences mainly in loops and turns. The two binding sites are extremely similar, the only apparent differences being a slightly more asymmetric bidentate binding of the carbonate ion to the metal, and a slightly longer Fe-O bond to one of the Tyr ligands, in the N-lobe site relative to the C-lobe site. Distinct differences are seen in the interactions made by two cationic groups, Arg210 and Lys546, behind the iron site, and these may influence the stability of the two metal sites. Analysis of interdomain and interlobe interactions shows that these are few in number which is consistent with the known flexibility of the molecule with respect to domain and lobe movements. Internal water molecules are found in discrete sites and in two large clusters (in the two interdomain clefts) and one tightly bound water molecule is present 3.8 A from the Fe atom in each lobe. The carbohydrate is weakly defined and has been modelled to a limited extent; two sugar residues of the N-lobe glycan and six of the C-lobe glycan. Only one direct protein-carbohydrate contact can be found.

Bacterial superantigens are small proteins that have a very potent stimulatory effect on T lymphocytes through their ability to bind to both MHC class II molecules and T-cell receptors. We have determined the three-dimensional structure of a Streptococcal superantigen, SPE-C, at 2.4 A resolution. The structure shows that SPE-C has the usual superantigen fold, but that the surface that forms a generic, low-affinity MHC-binding site in other superantigens is here used to create a SPE-C dimer. Instead, MHC class II binding occurs through a zinc binding site that is analogous to a similar site in staphylococcal enterotoxin A. Consideration of the SPE-C dimer suggests a novel mechanism for promotion of MHC aggregation and T-cell activation.