Formation of a native-like beta-hairpin finger structure of a peptide from the extended PDZ domain of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in aqueous solution

Eur J Biochem. 2000 Jun;267(11):3116-22. doi: 10.1046/j.1432-1327.2000.01318.x.

Abstract

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is targeted to the cell membrane via interactions of its extended PDZ domain with PDZ domains of membrane-associated proteins including PSD-95 and alpha1-syntrophin. The formation of heterodimers between the nNOS PDZ domain and the PDZ domains of nNOS-binding proteins requires a stretch of continuous amino-acid residues C-terminal to the canonical nNOS PDZ domain. In this work, we show that a 27-residue peptide comprising the C-terminal extension of the extended nNOS PDZ domain is capable of binding to PSD-95. The structure of the 27-residue peptide in aqueous solution was determined using multidimensional NMR-spectroscopic techniques. The free peptide adopts a native-like beta-hairpin finger structure in aqueous solution. The results indicate that the C-terminal extension peptide of the nNOS PDZ domain may represent a relatively independent structural unit in the mediation of the interaction between nNOS and PDZ domain-containing proteins including PSD-95 and alpha1-syntrophin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Dimerization
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Neurons / enzymology
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / chemistry*
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Rats
  • Solutions

Substances

  • Solutions
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I
  • Nos1 protein, rat