Title: Three dimensional structure of the closed conformation (active) of human merlin reveals masking of actin binding site in the FERM domain

Authors: Krishnankutty C. Sivakumar, Biju Thomas, Devarajan Karunagaran

Addresses: Bioinformatics Centre, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thycaud P.O., Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram 695 014, India. ' Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641 046, India. ' Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences building, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600 036, India

Abstract: We modelled the structure of human merlin using the structure of moesin from Spodoptera frugiperda as the template. The present model suggests an interaction of its extreme C-terminal region with the subdomains B and C of FERM domain, masking the binding site of beta II spectrin. Modelling the complete structure of merlin revealed a novel central alpha helical domain with a helix-coil-helix. The actin binding site in the carboxy terminal is absent in merlin and in its closed conformation the indirect actin binding site in the FERM domain is also not available for the interaction of other proteins with it.

Keywords: ezrin; moesin proteins; radixin proteins; human merlin; neurofibromatosis; betaII spectrin; modelling; tumour suppressor; actin binding; bioinformatics; FERM; closed conformation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBRA.2009.028680

International Journal of Bioinformatics Research and Applications, 2009 Vol.5 No.5, pp.516 - 524

Accepted: 13 Jan 2009
Published online: 22 Sep 2009 *

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