Structural features of the full-length adaptor protein GADS in solution determined using small-angle X-ray scattering

Biophys J. 2008 Mar 1;94(5):1766-72. doi: 10.1529/biophysj.107.116590. Epub 2007 Nov 9.

Abstract

The Grb2-related adaptor protein GADS plays a central role during the initial phases of signal transduction in T lymphocytes. GADS possesses N- and C-terminal Src homology 3 (SH3) domains flanking a central Src homology 2 (SH2) domain and a 126-residue region rich in glutamine and proline residues, presumed to be largely unstructured. The SH2 domain of GADS binds the adaptor protein LAT; the C-terminal SH3 domain pairs GADS to the adaptor protein SLP-76, whereas the function of the central region is unknown. High-resolution three-dimensional models are available for the isolated SH2 and C-terminal SH3 domains in complex with their respective binding partners, LAT and SLP-76. However, in part because of its intrinsic instability, there is no structural information for the entire GADS molecule. Here, we report the low-resolution structure of full-length GADS in solution using small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). Based on the SAXS data, complemented by gel filtration experiments, we show that full-length GADS is monomeric in solution and that its overall structural parameters are smaller than those expected for a protein with a long unstructured region. Ab initio and rigid body modeling of the SAXS data reveal that full-length GADS is a relatively compact molecule and that the potentially unstructured region retains a significant degree of structural order. The biological function of GADS is discussed based on its overall structure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / analysis
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / chemistry*
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism*
  • Chromatography, Gel
  • Protein Binding
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / metabolism
  • Scattering, Small Angle
  • Solutions / chemistry
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • X-Ray Diffraction

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • GRAP2 protein, human
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • Solutions