Crystal structure of PI-SceI, a homing endonuclease with protein splicing activity

Cell. 1997 May 16;89(4):555-64. doi: 10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80237-8.

Abstract

PI-Scel is a bifunctional yeast protein that propagates its mobile gene by catalyzing protein splicing and site-specific DNA double-strand cleavage. Here, we report the 2.4 A crystal structure of the PI-Scel protein. The structure is composed of two separate domains (I and II) with novel folds and different functions. Domain I, which is elongated and formed largely from seven beta sheets, harbors the N and C termini residues and two His residues that are implicated in protein splicing. Domain II, which is compact and is primarily composed of two similar alpha/beta motifs related by local two-fold symmetry, contains the putative nuclease active site with a cluster of two acidic residues and one basic residue commonly found in restriction endonucleases. This report presents prototypic structures of domains with single endonuclease and protein splicing active sites.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Binding Sites
  • Biological Evolution
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • DNA, Fungal / metabolism
  • Electrochemistry
  • Endodeoxyribonucleases / chemistry*
  • Endodeoxyribonucleases / metabolism*
  • Fungal Proteins / metabolism
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Folding
  • Protein Splicing*
  • Proton-Translocating ATPases*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / enzymology
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins*

Substances

  • DNA, Fungal
  • Fungal Proteins
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Endodeoxyribonucleases
  • Proton-Translocating ATPases
  • VMA1 protein, S cerevisiae