Wiley, FEBS Letters, 22(587), p. 3601-3608, 2013
DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2013.09.038
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Protein aggregation via 3D domain swapping is a complex mechanism which can lead to the acquisition of new biological, benign or also malignant functions, such as amyloid deposits . In this context, RNase A represents a fascinating model system, since by dislocating different polypeptide chain regions, it forms many diverse oligomers. No other protein displays such a large number of different quaternary structures. Here we report a comparative structural analysis between natural and artificial RNase A dimers and bovine seminal ribonuclease, a natively dimeric RNase with antitumor activity, with the aim to design RNase A derivatives with improved pharmacological potential.