Structural Study on neuron protein complex essential for memory and learning

2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23570145
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Structural biochemistry
• Research Institution: Yokohama City University
• Principal Investigator: UNZAI Satoru 横浜市立大学, 生命医科学研究科, 助教 (60336592)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): PARK Sam-yong 横浜市立大学, 生命医科学研究科, 教授 (20291932)
• Project Period (FY): 2011 – 2013
• Keywords: タンパク質

Research Abstract

In the vertebrate brain, nerve cells are managing memory and learning. The nerve cells are connected via synapses, which are real nature of the memory and learning. NMDA receptor and related proteins at the synapse are essential for the regulation of synaptic strength. The proteins form quite large complex and they communicate each other via interaction or chemical modification. Using structural biology technics, we try to understand how they communicate, how they form complexes, and how they work for the synaptic strength regulation. Rap1 molecule is a GTPase, a kind of molecular switch belongs to Ras super family. This molecule works as a signal transduction factor in a nerve cell and related with the NMDA receptor protein complex. We succeeded solving high-resolution crystal structure of the Rap1 molecule, GTP analogue bound form and GDP bound form.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Insight into structural diversity of influenza virus haemagglutinin (2013)
  • Author(s): Cho, K. J., Lee, J.-H., Hong, K. W., Kim, S.-H., Park, Y., Lee, J. Y., Kang, S., Kim, S., Yang, J. H., Kim, E.-K., Seok, J. H., Unzai, S., Park, S.-Y., Saelens, X., Kim, C.-J., Lee, J.-Y., Kang, C., Oh, H.-B., Chung, M. S., and Kim, K. H.
  • Journal Title: J. Gen. Virol. Volume: 94 Pages: 1712–1722
• [Journal Article] Structures of haemoglobin from woolly mammoth in liganded and unliganded states (2013)
  • Author(s): Noguchi, H., Campbell, K. L., Ho, C., Unzai, S., Park, S.-Y., and Tame, J. R. H.
  • Journal Title: Acta Cryst Volume: 68 Pages: 1441-1449
  • DOI: 10.1107/S0907444912029459
• [Journal Article] Fission Yeast Swi5-Sfr1 Protein Complex, an Activator of Rad51 Recombinase, Forms an Extremely Elongated Dogleg-shaped Structure (2011)
  • Author(s): Kokabu, Y., Murayama, Y., Kuwabara, N., Oroguchi, T., Hashimoto, H., Tsutsui, Y., Nozaki, N., Akashi, S., Unzai, S., Shimizu, T., Iwasaki, H., Sato, M., and Ikeguchi, M.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Biological Chemistry Volume: 286 Pages: 43569–43576
• [Journal Article] Crystal Structure of the Ubiquitin-associated (UBA) Domain of p62 and Its Interaction with Ubiquitin (2011)
  • Author(s): Isogai, S., Morimoto, D., Arita, K., Unzai, S., Tenno, T., Hasegawa, J., Sou, Y.-S., Komatsu, M., Tanaka, K., Shirakawa, M., and Tochio, H.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Biological Chemistry Volume: 286 Pages: 31864–31874
• [Journal Article] Crystal structure of basic 7S globulin, a xyloglucan-specific endo-β-1,4-glucanase inhibitor protein-like protein from soybean lacking inhibitory activity against endo-β-glucanase (2011)
  • Author(s): Yoshizawa, T., Shimizu, T., Yamabe, M., Taichi, M., Nishiuchi, Y., Shichijo, N., Unzai, S., Hirano, H., Sato, M., and Hashimoto, H.
  • Journal Title: FEBS J. Volume: 278 Pages: 1944–1954
• [Journal Article] Relationship between heat-induced fibrillogenicity and hemolytic activity of thermostable direct hemolysin and a related hemolysin of Vibrio parahaemolyticus (2011)
  • Author(s): Ohnishi, K., Nakahira, K., Unzai, S., Mayanagi, K., Hashimoto, H., Shiraki, K., Honda, T., and Yanagihara, I.
  • Journal Title: FEMS Microbiol. Lett. Volume: 318 Pages: 10–17
• [Journal Article] Crystal structure of basic 7S globulin, a xyloglucan-specific endo-β-1,4-glucanase inhibitor protein-like protein from soybean lacking inhibitory activity against endo-β-glucanase (2011)
  • Author(s): Yoshizawa, T., Shimizu, T., Yamabe, M., Taichi, M., Nishiuchi, Y., Shichijo, N., Unzai, S., Hirano, H., Sato, M., and Hashimoto, H.
  • Journal Title: FEBS Journal Volume: 278 Pages: 1944–1954
• [Journal Article] Structural basis for the dual RNA-recognition modes of human Tra2-βRRM (2011)
  • Author(s): Tsuda, K., Someya, T., Kuwasako, K., Takahashi, M., He, F., Unzai, S., Inoue, M., Harada, T., Watanabe, S., Terada, T., Kobayashi, N., Shirouzu, M., Kigawa, T., Tanaka, A., Sugano, S., Güntert, P., Yokoyama, S., and Muto, Y.
  • Journal Title: Nucleic Acids Res Volume: 39 Pages: 1538–1553
• [Presentation] バイオテクノロジーセミナー「構造生物学に役立つ超遠心分析」 (2012)
  • Organizer: 第35回日本分子生物学会年会
  • Place of Presentation: 福岡国際会議場
  • Year and Date: 2012-12-11
  • Invited
• [Presentation] リガンド結合状態および非結合状態のケナガマンモスヘモグロビンの結晶構造
  • Author(s): Hiroki Noguchi, Satoru Unzai, Kevin L.Cambell, Chien Ho, Sam-Yong Park, and Jeremy R.H. Tame.
  • Organizer: 第50回日本生物物理学会年会
  • Place of Presentation: (ポスター発表)
• [Book] 構造生物学に役立つ超遠心分析
  • Author(s): Beckman-Coulter
  • Publisher: Progresso 2013春号