The two dimeric forms of RNase A

FEBS Lett. 2000 Jan 21;466(1):35-9. doi: 10.1016/s0014-5793(99)01742-1.

Abstract

In 1965 Fruchter and Crestfield (J. Biol. Chem. 240, 2868-3874) observed that dimeric RNase A prepared by lyophilization from acetic acid could be separated into two forms. Surprisingly, no other structural or functional differences could be detected between the two forms. In 1998 a structure for dimeric RNase A was determined by X-ray crystallography by Liu et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95, 3437-3442). We found that the two forms of dimeric RNase A have indeed different structural and functional properties, and suggest that the dimer whose structure was investigated by Liu and coworkers may be identified with the lesser form of dimeric RNase A.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Catalysis
  • Cattle
  • Circular Dichroism
  • Cross-Linking Reagents
  • Dimerization
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Male
  • Pancreas / enzymology
  • Protein Structure, Quaternary
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Ribonuclease, Pancreatic / chemistry*
  • Ribonuclease, Pancreatic / isolation & purification
  • Ribonuclease, Pancreatic / metabolism
  • Semen / enzymology
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Sulfones

Substances

  • Cross-Linking Reagents
  • Sulfones
  • divinyl sulfone
  • Ribonuclease, Pancreatic