RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis, the formation of new vessels from the existing vasculature, is a critical process during early development as well as in a number of disease processes. Tie2 (also known as Tek) is an endothelium-specific receptor tyrosine kinase involved in both angiogenesis and vasculature maintenance. RESULTS: We have determined the crystal structure of the Tie2 kinase domain to 2.2 A resolution. The structure contains the catalytic core, the kinase insert domain (KID), and the C-terminal tail. The overall fold is similar to that observed in other serine/threonine and tyrosine kinase structures; however, several unique features distinguish the Tie2 structure from those of other kinases. The Tie2 nucleotide binding loop is in an inhibitory conformation, which is not seen in other kinase structures, while its activation loop adopts an "activated-like" conformation in the absence of phosphorylation. Tyr-897, located in the N-terminal domain, may negatively regulate the activity of Tie2 by preventing dimerization of the kinase domains or by recruiting phosphatases when it is phosphorylated. CONCLUSION: Regulation of the kinase activity of Tie2 is a complex process. Conformational changes in the nucleotide binding loop, activation loop, C helix, and the C-terminal tail are required for ATP and substrate binding.
Assuntos
Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/química , Substituição de Aminoácidos , Vasos Sanguíneos/anormalidades , Domínio Catalítico , Cristalografia por Raios X , Dimerização , Genes Dominantes , Humanos , Ligação de Hidrogênio , Espectrometria de Massas , Modelos Moleculares , Mutagênese Sítio-Dirigida , Fosforilação , Ligação Proteica , Conformação Proteica , Dobramento de Proteína , Processamento de Proteína Pós-Traducional , Estrutura Terciária de Proteína , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/antagonistas & inibidores , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/genética , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismo , Receptor TIE-2 , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusão/química , Relação Estrutura-Atividade , Domínios de Homologia de srcRESUMO
Multiple transcripts which arise from the human estrogen receptor beta (ER beta) gene have been characterized. Three full length isoforms of the hER beta gene, designated hER beta 1-3, were identified in a testis cDNA library. An additional two isoforms, designated hER beta 4 and hER beta 5, were identified by PCR amplification from testis cDNA and from the MDA-MB 435 cell line. hER beta 1 corresponds to the previously described hER beta. All five isoforms diverge at a common position within the predicted helix 10 of the ligand binding domain of hER beta, with nucleotide sequences consistent with differential exon usage. The hER beta isoform mRNAs displayed a differential pattern of expression in human tissues and in tumor cell lines when analyzed by RT-PCR. Further characterization of the three full length isoforms, hER beta 1-3, by in vitro band shift studies indicated that the isoforms were able to form DNA-binding homodimers and heterodimers with each other and with the ER alpha subtype.
