Crystal structure of the ectodomain of Methuselah, a Drosophila G protein-coupled receptor associated with extended lifespan.
West Jr., A.P., Llamas, L.L., Snow, P.M., Benzer, S., Bjorkman, P.J.(2001) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 98: 3744-3749
- PubMed: 11274391
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.051625298
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
1FJR - PubMed Abstract:
The Drosophila mutant methuselah (mth) was identified from a screen for single gene mutations that extended average lifespan. Mth mutants have a 35% increase in average lifespan and increased resistance to several forms of stress, including heat, starvation, and oxidative damage. The protein affected by this mutation is related to G protein-coupled receptors of the secretin receptor family. Mth, like secretin receptor family members, has a large N-terminal ectodomain, which may constitute the ligand binding site. Here we report the 2.3-A resolution crystal structure of the Mth extracellular region, revealing a folding topology in which three primarily beta-structure-containing domains meet to form a shallow interdomain groove containing a solvent-exposed tryptophan that may represent a ligand binding site. The Mth structure is analyzed in relation to predicted Mth homologs and potential ligand binding features.
Organizational Affiliation:
Division of Biology 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.