Solution structure of the partially folded high-risk human papilloma virus 45 oncoprotein E7.

The oncoprotein E7 of human papilloma viruses (HPV) is involved in the pathogenesis and maintenance of human cervical cancers. The most prevalent HPV types found in cervix carcinomas are HPV16, 18 and 45. The structure of the E7 dimer from HPV45 (PDB 2F8B) was determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Each monomer comprises an unfolded N-terminus and a well-structured C-terminal domain with a beta1beta2alpha1beta3alpha2 topology representing a unique zinc-binding fold found only for E7. Dimerization occurs through the alpha1/alpha1' helices and intermolecular beta-sheet formation but excludes the zinc-binding sites. E7 is reported to interact with a number of cellular proteins (e.g. pRb, p21(CIP1)). Binding of a peptide derived from the C-terminus of p21(CIP1) to the C-terminal domain of E7 was characterized by monitoring chemical shift perturbations of the amide groups of E7. This provides direct evidence that a shallow groove situated between alpha1 and beta1 of the E7 C-terminal domain is interacting with the C-terminus of p21(CIP1). Intriguingly, this binding site overlaps with the low-affinity binding site on E7 for the C-domain of pRb.

Bone tissue incorporates in vitro gallium with a local structure similar to gallium-doped brushite.

During mineral growth in rat bone-marrow stromal cell cultures, gallium follows calcium pathways. The dominant phase of the cell culture mineral constitutes the poorly crystalline hydroxyapatite (HAP). This model system mimics bone mineralization in vivo. The structural characterization of the Ga environment was performed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Ga K-edge. These data were compared with Ga-doped synthetic compounds (poorly crystalline hydroxyapatite, amorphous calcium phosphate and brushite) and with strontium-treated bone tissue, obtained from the same culture model. It was found that Sr(2+) substitutes for Ca(2+) in the HAP crystal lattice. In contrast, the replacement by Ga(3+) yielded a much more disordered local environment of the probe atom in all investigated cell culture samples. The coordination of Ga ions in the cell culture minerals was similar to that of Ga(3+), substituted for Ca(2+), in the Ga-doped synthetic brushite (Ga-DCPD). The Ga atoms in the Ga-DCPD were coordinated by four oxygen atoms (1.90 A) of the four phosphate groups and two oxygen atoms at 2.02 A. Interestingly, the local environment of Ga in the cell culture minerals was not dependent on the onset of Ga treatment, the Ga concentration in the medium or the age of the mineral. Thus, it was concluded that Ga ions were incorporated into the precursor phase to the HAP mineral. Substitution for Ca(2+ )with Ga(3+) distorted locally this brushite-like environment, which prevented the transformation of the initially deposited phase into the poorly crystalline HAP.