Inclusion of thermal motion in crystallographic structures by restrained molecular dynamics.

A protein crystal structure is usually described by one single structure, which largely omits the dynamical behavior of the molecule. A molecular dynamics method with a time-averaged crystallographic restraint was used to overcome this limitation. This method yields an ensemble of structures in which all possible thermal motions are allowed, that is, in additional to isotropic distributions, anisotropic and anharmonic positional distributions occur as well. In the case of bovine pancreatic phospholipase A2, this description markedly improves agreement with the observed x-ray diffraction data compared to the results of the classical one-model structure description. Time-averaged crystallographically restrained molecular dynamics reveals large mobilities in the loops involved in lipid bilayer association.

Structure of the heat shock protein chaperonin-10 of Mycobacterium leprae.

Members of the chaperonin-10 (cpn10) protein family, also called heat shock protein 10 and in Escherichia coli GroES, play an important role in ensuring the proper folding of many proteins. The crystal structure of the Mycobacterium leprae cpn10 (Ml-cpn10) oligomer has been elucidated at a resolution of 3.5 angstroms. The architecture of the Ml-cpn10 heptamer resembles a dome with an oculus in its roof. The inner surface of the dome is hydrophilic and highly charged. A flexible region, known to interact with cpn60, extends from the lower rim of the dome. With the structure of a cpn10 heptamer now revealed and the structure of the E. coli GroEL previously known, models of cpn10:cpn60 and GroEL:GroES complexes are proposed.

Crystal structures of human topoisomerase I in covalent and noncovalent complexes with DNA.

Topoisomerases I promote the relaxation of DNA superhelical tension by introducing a transient single-stranded break in duplex DNA and are vital for the processes of replication, transcription, and recombination. The crystal structures at 2.1 and 2.5 angstrom resolution of reconstituted human topoisomerase I comprising the core and carboxyl-terminal domains in covalent and noncovalent complexes with 22-base pair DNA duplexes reveal an enzyme that "clamps" around essentially B-form DNA. The core domain and the first eight residues of the carboxyl-terminal domain of the enzyme, including the active-site nucleophile tyrosine-723, share significant structural similarity with the bacteriophage family of DNA integrases. A binding mode for the anticancer drug camptothecin is proposed on the basis of chemical and biochemical information combined with these three-dimensional structures of topoisomerase I-DNA complexes.

A model for the mechanism of human topoisomerase I.

The three-dimensional structure of a 70-kilodalton amino terminally truncated form of human topoisomerase I in complex with a 22-base pair duplex oligonucleotide, determined to a resolution of 2.8 angstroms, reveals all of the structural elements of the enzyme that contact DNA. The linker region that connects the central core of the enzyme to the carboxyl-terminal domain assumes a coiled-coil configuration and protrudes away from the remainder of the enzyme. The positively charged DNA-proximal surface of the linker makes only a few contacts with the DNA downstream of the cleavage site. In combination with the crystal structures of the reconstituted human topoisomerase I before and after DNA cleavage, this information suggests which amino acid residues are involved in catalyzing phosphodiester bond breakage and religation. The structures also lead to the proposal that the topoisomerization step occurs by a mechanism termed "controlled rotation."

Atomic structure of the cubic core of the pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex.

The highly symmetric pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complexes have molecular masses ranging from 5 to 10 million daltons. They consist of numerous copies of three different enzymes: pyruvate dehydrogenase, dihydrolipoyl transacetylase, and lipoamide dehydrogenase. The three-dimensional crystal structure of the catalytic domain of Azotobacter vinelandii dihydrolipoyl transacetylase has been determined at 2.6 angstrom (A) resolution. Eight trimers assemble as a hollow truncated cube with an edge of 125 A, forming the core of the multienzyme complex. Coenzyme A must enter the 29 A long active site channel from the inside of the cube, and lipoamide must enter from the outside. The trimer of the catalytic domain of dihydrolipoyl transacetylase has a topology identical to chloramphenicol acetyl transferase. The atomic structure of the 24-subunit cube core provides a framework for understanding all pyruvate dehydrogenase and related multienzyme complexes.

AB5 toxins.

Crystal structures of shiga and pertussis toxins have recently revealed a remarkable degree of structural homology among the members of the AB5 class of bacterial toxins. Other structures have provided a detailed view of the molecular basis of receptor binding specificity of cholera toxin, and of the heat-labile enterotoxin of Escherichia coli. These structures also provide tantalizing, but as yet incomplete, information on the site of ADP-ribosylation in the homologous A-subunits of the Escherichia coli heat-labile toxin, cholera toxin, and pertussis toxin.

Structural insights into the function of type IB topoisomerases.

Topoisomerases relax the DNA superhelical tension that arises in cells as a result of several nuclear processes, including transcription, replication and recombination. Recently determined crystal structures of human topoisomerase I in complex with DNA and of the 27 kDa catalytic domain of the vaccinia virus topoisomerase have advanced our understanding of the eukaryotic type IB topoisomerases. These recent structural results provide insights into functional aspects of these topoisomerases, including their DNA binding, strand cleavage and religation activities, as well as the mechanism that these enzymes use to relax DNA superhelical tension. In addition, two proposed models of the anticancer drug camptothecin bound to a covalent complex of human topoisomerase I and DNA suggest a structural basis for the mode of action of the drug.

AB(5) toxins: structures and inhibitor design.

High-resolution crystal structures of AB(5) toxins in their native form or in complex with a variety of ligands have led to the structure-based design and discovery of inhibitors targeting different areas of the toxins. The most significant progress is the development of highly potent multivalent ligands that block binding of the toxins to their receptors.

Structure-based drug design: progress, results and challenges.

Protein structure-based drug design is rapidly gaining momentum. The new opportunities, developments and results in this field are almost unbelievable compared with the situation less than a decade ago.

The 2.0 A crystal structure of cephalosporin acylase.

BACKGROUND: Semisynthetic cephalosporins are primarily synthesized from 7-aminocephalosporanic acid (7-ACA), which is usually obtained by chemical deacylation of cephalosporin C (CPC). The chemical production of 7-ACA includes, however, several expensive steps and requires thorough treatment of chemical wastes. Therefore, an enzymatic conversion of CPC to 7-ACA by cephalosporin acylase is of great interest. The biggest obstacle preventing this in industrial production is that cephalosporin acylase uses glutaryl-7ACA as a primary substrate and has low substrate specificity for CPC. RESULTS: We have solved the first crystal structure of a cephalosporin acylase from Pseudomonas diminuta at 2.0 A resolution. The overall structure looks like a bowl with two "knobs" consisting of helix- and strand-rich regions, respectively. The active site is mostly formed by the distinctive structural motif of the N-terminal (Ntn) hydrolase superfamily. Superposition of the 61 residue active-site pocket onto that of penicillin G acylase shows an rmsd in Calpha positions of 1.38 A. This indicates structural similarity in the active site between these two enzymes, but their overall structures are elsewhere quite different. CONCLUSION: The substrate binding pocket of the P. diminuta cephalosporin acylase provides detailed insight into the ten key residues responsible for the specificity of the cephalosporin C side chain in four classes of cephalosporin acylases, and it thereby forms a basis for the design of an enzyme with an improved conversion rate of CPC to 7-ACA. The structure also provides structural evidence that four of the five different classes of cephalosporin acylases can be grouped into one family of the Ntn hydrolase superfamily.

Structural foundation for the design of receptor antagonists targeting Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin.

BACKGROUND: Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) is the causative agent of traveller's diarrhoea, and it is also responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children per year in developing countries. LT is highly homologous in sequence, structure and function to cholera toxin (CT). Both toxins attack intestinal epithelial cells via specific binding to the branched pentasaccharide of ganglioside GM1 at the cell surface. A receptor-binding antagonist which blocked this interaction would potentially constitute a prophylactic drug conferring protection both against the severe effects of cholera itself and against the milder but more common disease caused by LT. RESULTS: Four derivatives of the simple sugar galactose, members of a larger series of receptor antagonists identified by computer modeling and competitive binding studies, have been co-crystallized with either the full LT AB5 holotoxin or the LT B pentamer. These crystal structures have provided detailed views of the toxin in complex with each of the four antagonists: melibionic acid at 2.8 A resolution, lactulose at 2.65 A resolution, metanitrophenylgalactoside (MNPG) at 2.2 A resolution and thiodigalactoside (TDG) at 1.7 A resolution. The binding mode of each galactose derivative was observed 5-15 times, depending on the number of crystallographically independent toxin B pentamers per asymmetric unit. There is a remarkable consistency, with one important exception, in the location and hydrogen-bonding involvement of well-ordered water molecules at the receptor-binding site. CONCLUSIONS: The bound conformations of these receptor antagonist compounds preserve the toxin-galactose interactions previously observed for toxin-sugar complexes, but gain additional favorable interactions. The highest affinity compound, MNPG, is notable in that it displaces a water molecule that is observed to be well-ordered in all other previous and current crystal structures of toxin-sugar complexes. This could be a favorable entropic factor contributing to the increased affinity. The highest affinity members of the present set of antagonists (MNPG and TDG) bury roughly half (400 A2) of the binding-site surface covered by the full receptor GM1 pentasaccharide, despite being considerably smaller. This provides an encouraging basis for the creation of subsequent generations of derived compounds that can compete effectively with the natural receptor.

Three-dimensional structure of the human 'protective protein': structure of the precursor form suggests a complex activation mechanism.

BACKGROUND: The human 'protective protein' (HPP) forms a multi-enzyme complex with beta-galactosidase and neuraminidase in the lysosomes, protecting these two glycosidases from degradation. In humans, deficiency of HPP leads to the lysosomal storage disease galactosialidosis. Proteolytic cleavage of the precursor form of HPP involves removal of a 2 kDa excision peptide and results in a carboxypeptidase activity. The physiological relevance of this activity is, as yet, unknown. RESULTS: The crystal structure of the 108 kDa dimer of the precursor HPP has been elucidated by making extensive use of twofold density averaging. The monomer consists of a 'core' domain and a 'cap' domain. Comparison with the distantly related wheat serine carboxypeptidase dimer shows that the two subunits in the HPP dimer differ by 15 degrees in mutual orientation. Also, the helical subdomain forming part of the cap domains is very different. In addition, the HPP precursor cap domain contains a 'maturation' subdomain of 49 residues which fills the active-site cleft. Merely removing the 'excision' peptide located in the maturation subdomain does not render the catalytic triad solvent accessible. CONCLUSIONS: The activation mechanism of HPP is unique among proteases with known structure. It differs from the serine proteases in that the active site is performed in the zymogen, but is blocked by a maturation subdomain. In contrast to the zinc metalloproteases and aspartic proteases, the chain segment physically rendering the catalytic triad solvent inaccessible in HPP is not cleaved off to form the active enzyme. The activation must be a multi-step process involving removal of the excision peptide and major conformational changes of the maturation subdomain, whereas the conformation of the enzymatic machinery is probably almost, or completely, unaffected.

Protein-protein interactions in the pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex: dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase complexed with the binding domain of dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase.

BACKGROUND: The ubiquitous pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex is built around an octahedral or icosahedral core of dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase (E2) chains, to which multiple copies of pyruvate decarboxylase (E1) and dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (E3) bind tightly but non-covalently. E2 is a flexible multidomain protein that mediates interactions with E1 and E3 through a remarkably small binding domain (E2BD). RESULTS: In the Bacillus stearothermophilus complex, the E2 core is an icosahedral assembly of 60 E2 chains. The crystal structure of the E3 dimer (101 kDa) complexed with E2BD (4 kDa) has been solved to 2.6 A resolution. Interactions between E3 and E2BD are dominated by an electrostatic zipper formed by Arg135 and Arg139 in the N-terminal helix of E2BD and Asp344 and Glu431 of one of the monomers of E3. E2BD interacts with both E3 monomers, but the binding site is located close to the twofold axis. Thus, in agreement with earlier biochemical results, it is impossible for two molecules of E2BD to bind simultaneously to one E3 dimer. CONCLUSIONS: Combining this new structure for the E3-E2BD complex with previously determined structures of the E2 catalytic domain and the E2 lipoyl domain creates a model of the E2 core showing how the lipoyl domain can move between the active sites of E2 and E3 in the multienzyme complex.

A potential target enzyme for trypanocidal drugs revealed by the crystal structure of NAD-dependent glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Leishmania mexicana.

BACKGROUND: NAD-dependent glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) catalyzes the interconversion of dihydroxyacetone phosphate and L-glycerol-3-phosphate. Although the enzyme has been characterized and cloned from a number of sources, until now no three-dimensional structure has been determined for this enzyme. Although the utility of this enzyme as a drug target against Leishmania mexicana is yet to be established, the critical role played by GPDH in the long slender bloodstream form of the related kinetoplastid Trypanosoma brucei makes it a viable drug target against sleeping sickness. RESULTS: The 1.75 A crystal structure of apo GPDH from L. mexicana was determined by multiwavelength anomalous diffraction (MAD) techniques, and used to solve the 2.8 A holo structure in complex with NADH. Each 39 kDa subunit of the dimeric enzyme contains a 189-residue N-terminal NAD-binding domain and a 156-residue C-terminal substrate-binding domain. Significant parts of both domains share structural similarity with plant acetohydroxyacid isomeroreductase. The discovery of extra, fatty-acid like, density buried inside the C-terminal domain indicates a possible post-translational modification with an associated biological function. CONCLUSIONS: The crystal structure of GPDH from L. mexicana is the first structure of this enzyme from any source and, in view of the sequence identity of 63%, serves as a valid model for the T. brucei enzyme. The differences between the human and trypanosomal enzymes are extensive, with only 29% sequence identity between the parasite and host enzyme, and support the feasibility of exploiting the NADH-binding site to develop selective inhibitors against trypanosomal GPDH. The structure also offers a plausible explanation for the observed inhibition of the T. brucei enzyme by melarsen oxide, the active form of the trypanocidal drugs melarsoprol and cymelarsan.

Crystal structure of human branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase and the molecular basis of multienzyme complex deficiency in maple syrup urine disease.

BACKGROUND: Mutations in components of the extraordinarily large alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase multienzyme complexes can lead to serious and often fatal disorders in humans, including maple syrup urine disease (MSUD). In order to obtain insight into the effect of mutations observed in MSUD patients, we determined the crystal structure of branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase (E1), the 170 kDa alpha(2)beta(2) heterotetrameric E1b component of the branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase multienzyme complex. RESULTS: The 2.7 A resolution crystal structure of human E1b revealed essentially the full alpha and beta polypeptide chains of the tightly packed heterotetramer. The position of two important potassium (K(+)) ions was determined. One of these ions assists a loop that is close to the cofactor to adopt the proper conformation. The second is located in the beta subunit near the interface with the small C-terminal domain of the alpha subunit. The known MSUD mutations affect the functioning of E1b by interfering with the cofactor and K(+) sites, the packing of hydrophobic cores, and the precise arrangement of residues at or near several subunit interfaces. The Tyr-->Asn mutation at position 393-alpha occurs very frequently in the US population of Mennonites and is located in a unique extension of the human E1b alpha subunit, contacting the beta' subunit. CONCLUSIONS: Essentially all MSUD mutations in human E1b can be explained on the basis of the structure, with the severity of the mutations for the stability and function of the protein correlating well with the severity of the disease for the patients. The suggestion is made that small molecules with high affinity for human E1b might alleviate effects of some of the milder forms of MSUD.

Three-dimensional structure of the diphtheria toxin repressor in complex with divalent cation co-repressors.

BACKGROUND: When Corynebacterium diphtheriae encounters an environment with a low concentration of iron ions, it initiates the synthesis of several virulence factors, including diphtheria toxin. The diphtheria toxin repressor (DtxR) plays a key role in this iron-dependent, global regulatory system and is the prototype for a new family of iron-dependent repressor proteins in Gram-positive bacteria. This study aimed to increase understanding of the general regulatory principles of cation binding to DtxR. RESULTS: The crystal structure of dimeric DtxR holo-repressor in complex with different transition metals shows that each subunit comprises an amino-terminal DNA-binding domain, an interface domain (which contains two metal-binding sites) and a third, very flexible carboxy-terminal domain. Each DNA-binding domain contains a helix-turn-helix motif and has a topology which is very similar to catabolite gene activator protein (CAP). Molecular modeling suggests that bound DNA adopts a bent conformation with helices alpha 3 of DtxR interacting with the major grooves. The two metal-binding sites lie approximately 10 A apart. Binding site 2 is positioned at a potential hinge region between the DNA-binding and interface domains. Residues 98-108 appear to be crucial for the functioning of the repressor; these provide four of the ligands of the two metal-binding sites and three residues at the other side of the helix which are at the heart of the dimer interface. CONCLUSIONS: The crystal structure of the DtxR holorepressor suggests that the divalent cation co-repressor controls motions of the DNA-binding domain. In this way the metal co-repressor governs the distance between operator recognition elements in the two subunits and, consequently, DNA recognition.

Crystal structure of a new heat-labile enterotoxin, LT-IIb.

BACKGROUND: Cholera toxin from Vibrio cholerae and the type I heat-labile enterotoxins (LT-Is) from Escherichia coli are oligomeric proteins with AB5 structures. The type II heat-labile enterotoxins (LT-IIs) from E. coli are structurally similar to, but antigenically distinct from, the type I enterotoxins. The A subunits of type I and type II enterotoxins are homologous and activate adenylate cyclase by ADP-ribosylation of a G protein subunit, G8 alpha. However, the B subunits of type I and type II enterotoxins differ dramatically in amino acid sequence and ganglioside-binding specificity. The structure of LT-IIb was determined both as a prototype for other LT-IIs and to provide additional insights into structure/function relationships among members of the heat-labile enterotoxin family and the superfamily of ADP-ribosylating protein toxins. RESULTS: The 2.25 A crystal structure of the LT-IIb holotoxin has been determined. The structure reveals striking similarities with LT-I in both the catalytic A subunit and the ganglioside-binding B subunits. The latter form a pentamer which has a central pore with a diameter of 10-18 A. Despite their similarities, the relative orientation between the A polypeptide and the B pentamer differs by 24 degrees in LT-I and LT-IIb. A common hydrophobic ring was observed at the A-B5 interface which may be important in the cholera toxin family for assembly of the AB5 heterohexamer. A cluster of arginine residues at the surface of the A subunit of LT-I and cholera toxin, possibly involved in assembly, is also present in LT-IIb. The ganglioside receptor binding sites are localized, as suggested by mutagenesis, and are in a position roughly similar to the sites where LT-I binds its receptor. CONCLUSIONS: The structure of LT-IIb provides insight into the sequence diversity and structural similarity of the AB5 toxin family. New knowledge has been gained regarding the assembly of AB5 toxins and their active-site architecture.

Surprising leads for a cholera toxin receptor-binding antagonist: crystallographic studies of CTB mutants.

BACKGROUND: Because agents which inhibit the receptor binding of cholera toxin constitute possible lead compounds for the structure-based design of anti-cholera drugs, detailed investigation of the toxin's receptor-binding site is of key importance. The substitution Gly-->Asp at residue 33 of the cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) has been reported to abolish receptor-binding ability. The substitution Arg35-->Asp has been reported to result in deficient assembly of the AB5 holotoxin. The molecular basis for these effects was not readily apparent from analysis of an earlier crystal structure of the wild-type toxin B pentamer in a complex with the receptor pentasaccharide. RESULTS: We now report at a resolution of 2.0 A the crystal structure of a recombinant CTB pentamer containing the Gly33-->Asp substitution. The observed conformation of the Asp33 side chain suggests that the loss in binding affinity is due to a steric clash with atoms C9 and O9 of the sialic acid moiety of the receptor, ganglioside GM1. The crystal structure also reveals an unexpected mode of pentamer-pentamer interaction in which pairs of toxin pentamers are joined by reciprocal insertion of the imidazole ring of His13 from one subunit of each pentamer into one of the receptor-binding sites on the other. The surface of interaction at each pentamer-pentamer interface is on the order of 500 A2, and primarily involves contact of residues 10-14 with the receptor-binding site on the associated pentamer. This same pentamer-pentamer interaction is also present in the crystal structure of a second recombinant CTB containing an Arg-->Asp substitution at residue 35, which we have determined at 2.1 A resolution. CONCLUSIONS: These structures suggest that analogs to all or part of the pentapeptide Ala-Glu-Tyr-His-Asn, corresponding to residues 10-14 of CTB, may constitute lead compounds for the design of binding-site inhibitors.

Crystal structure of hexameric haemocyanin from Panulirus interruptus refined at 3.2 A resolution.

The use of non-crystallographic symmetry restraints in the refinement of the haemocyanin hexamer from Panulirus interruptus at 3.2 A resolution has resulted in a final model with a very reasonable geometry and a crystallographic R-factor of 20.1%, using 59,193 observed structure factor amplitudes between 8.0 and 3.2 A. The mean co-ordinate error is approximately 0.35 A. The six subunits appear to be related by symmetry operations that differ slightly from 32 point group symmetry. The six subunits have essentially maintained the same structure. The hexamer, with point group 32, is best described as a trimer of "tight dimers". The contacts between the subunits in such a dimer are more numerous, and better conserved during evolution than contacts in a trimer. The interface of a tight dimer is separated by an internal cavity into two "contact areas". The contact area nearest to the centre of the hexamer is most extensive and consists mainly of residues that are quite conserved among arthropodan haemocyanins. All these residues are provided by the second domain of each subunit. Hence, this second domain may play a crucial role in the allosteric functioning of this oxygen transport protein. The dinuclear copper oxygen-binding site resides in the centre of domain 2. This oxygen-binding centre is not fully accessible from the solvent. Three large cavities occur, however, within each subunit at the interfaces of the three domains. All three cavities contain ordered water molecules, and two of them are accessible from the surrounding solvent. These cavities may play a role in facilitating fast movement of dioxygen towards the binding site, which is situated in a highly conserved, rather hydrophobic core. A detailed definition of the geometry of the copper site is, of course, not possible at the limited resolution of 3.2 A. Nevertheless, it is possible to conclude that each copper is co-ordinated by two, more or less tightly bound, histidine ligands and one more distant histidine residue. The six histidine residues utilize their N epsilon atoms for copper co-ordination, while their N delta atoms are engaged in hydrogen bonds with conserved residues or water molecules. The two distant histidine ligands are located in apical positions and are on opposite sides with respect to the plane approximately defined by the four more tightly bound histidine ligands and the two copper ions. The copper-to-copper distance is 3.5 to 3.6 A in four of the subunits, but this distance deviates considerably in two others.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Pseudo 2-fold symmetry in the copper-binding domain of arthropodan haemocyanins. Possible implications for the evolution of oxygen transport proteins.

Investigation of the copper-binding centre of Panulirus interruptus haemocyanin led to the discovery of a pseudo 2-fold axis relating two helical pairs surrounding and co-ordinating the two copper ions. The pseudo 2-fold symmetry relating one helical pair, co-ordinating Cu-A, to the second helical pair co-ordinating Cu-B is quite precise with 31 equivalent C alpha atoms having a root-mean-square deviation of only 1.47 A. The 2-fold consists of a rotation of 174.6 degrees and a translation parallel to the rotation axis of 0.7 A. After superposition of the helical pairs, the two copper ions are within 1.1 A and the three C alpha atoms of the histidine ligands of Cu-A are within a root-mean-square deviation of 1.0 A from the C alpha atoms of the histidine residues co-ordinating Cu-B. Of the superimposed residues, 26% are identical in sequence. These data suggest that the current oxygen-binding centre of arthropodan haemocyanins is the result of dimerization, gene duplication and gene fusion of an ancestral mono-copper-binding helical pair. This suggestion is supported by the recent discovery that in the sequence of functional domains of molluscan haemocyanins only amino acid sequence homology with the arthropodan Cu-B helical pair has been found and no evidence for similarity with a Cu-A binding helical pair was observed. This provides strong evidence that a mono-copper-binding helical pair has been the ancestor of both the arthropodan and molluscan haemocyanins. Turning to the Fe-binding helical pairs in haemerythrins, it appears that they are less similar to each other than the two Cu-binding helical pairs in arthropodan haemocyanins. Nevertheless, the Fe-B haemerythrin helical pair superimposes well onto the Cu-A helical pair of Panulirus haemocyanin. A root-mean-square deviation of 1.9 A for 24 equivalent C alpha carbon atoms is obtained, while Fe-B deviates 1.4 A from Cu-A after superposition of the helices. Moreover, the three histidine ligands of the Cu-A helical pair are equivalent with three histidine ligands of the Fe-B pair. The structural similarity and correspondence in metal-binding ligands suggests that both haemocyanins and haemerythrins have originated from an ancestral mono-metal-binding helical pair having two ligands provided by the first helix and one ligand by the second helix.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)