Photo: Helge Meyer, Helmholtz Zentrum München and Technische Universität München
Neuherberg, September 10, 2010. Scientists of the Institute of Structural Biology of Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technische Universität München have succeeded in elucidating the structure of an important region of the Sam68 protein. The renowned Journal of Biological Chemistry has selected the report of these research findings as one of two “papers of the week” for its September 10, 2010 issue and has chosen the structural model as cover image.
Using NMR spectroscopy, Professor Michael Sattler and his team elucidated the spatial structure of the Qua1 region of Sam68, which is responsible for the dimerization of the protein. In collaboration with the research group of Professor Ruth Brack-Werner of the Institute of Virology, the authors showed that this region is essential for the biological function of Sam68. The image reveals an unusual spatial structure, in which two helices of respectively one Qua1 region (green and blue) interact with each other and mediate the dimerization of Qua1 and thus of Sam68.
Sam68 belongs to the family of STAR proteins which carry out important tasks in the signal-regulated processing of genetic information and its translation into protein. Among others, Sam68 regulates specific processes linked to the cell cycle and apoptosis and plays a key role in the pathogenesis of cancer.
Original publication:
Meyer, NH. et al.: Structural basis for homodimerization of the Src-associated during mitosis, 68 kD protein (Sam68) Qua1 domain. –The Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 285, Issue 37, 28893-28901, 10. September 2010; www.jbc.org/content/early/2010/07/06/jbc.M110.126185.abstract
Helmholtz Zentrum München is the German Research Center for Environmental Health. As one of the world’s leading centers with a focus on Environmental Health, it investigates chronic and complex diseases which arise from the interaction of environmental factors and individual genetic disposition. Helmholtz Zentrum München has approximately 1700 staff members; its head office is located in Neuherberg to the north of Munich on a 50-hectare research campus. Helmholtz Zentrum München belongs to the Helmholtz Association, Germany’s largest research organization, a community of 16 scientific-technical and medical-biological research centers with a total of 30,000 staff members. – www.helmholtz-muenchen.de
Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) is one of Europe¹s leading universities. It has roughly 420 professors, 7,500 academic and non-academic staff (including those at the university hospital ³Rechts der Isar²), and 24,000 students. It focuses on the engineering sciences, natural sciences, life sciences, medicine, and economic sciences. After winning numerous awards, it was selected as an ³Elite University² in 2006 by the Science Council (Wissenschaftsrat) and the German Research Foundation (DFG). The university¹s global network includes an outpost in Singapore. TUM is dedicated to the ideal of a top-level research based entrepreneurial university. Homepage
Contact for Media Representative
Sven Winkler, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Phone: +49(0)89-3187-3946, Fax: +49(0)89-3187-3324, E-Mail: presse@helmholtz-muenchen.de
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