Characterization of the Murine Myelin Basic Protein: Structural Analysis of an Intrinsically Unstructured Protein

摘要

In higher organisms, the myelin basic protein (MBP) is one of the major proteins found in the central and the peripheral nervous system. Various human diseases, such as Multiple Sclerosis and Autism, have been associated with structural problems of MBP. However, various features of the primary structure such as a high content of positively charged residues and a low degree of hydrophobicity suggest that MBP is an "intrinsically unstructured protein" (IUP). It is thought that IUPs adopt a conformation upon recognition by a binding partner, which allows for efficient interaction with various proteins and ligands. Therefore, our goal was to obtain structural information of MBP in presence of the potential binding partner calmodulin.