An atomic-level investigation of the disease-causing A629P mutant of the Menkes protein, ATP7A
Banci, L., Bertini, I., Cantini, F., Migliardi, M., Rosato, A., Wang, S.(2005) J Mol Biol 352: 409-417
- PubMed: 16083905 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2005.07.034
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
1YJR, 1YJT, 1YJU, 1YJV - PubMed Abstract: 
Menkes disease is a fatal disease that can be induced by various mutations in the ATP7A gene, leading to unpaired uptake of dietary copper. The ATP7A gene encodes a copper(I)-translocating ATPase. Here the disease-causing A629P mutation, which occurs in the last of the six copper(I)-binding soluble domains of the ATPase (hereafter MNK6), was investigated. To understand why this apparently minor amino acid replacement is pathogenic, the solution structures and dynamics on various time-scales of wild-type and A629P-MNK6 were determined both in the apo- and copper(I)-loaded forms. The interaction in vitro with the physiological ATP7A copper(I)-donor (HAH1) was additionally studied. The A629P mutation makes the protein beta-sheet more solvent accessible, possibly resulting in an enhanced susceptibility of ATP7A to proteolytic cleavage and/or in reduced capability of copper(I)-translocation. A small reduction of the affinity for copper(I) is also observed. Both effects could concur to pathogenicity.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Magnetic Resonance Center (CERM), University of Florence, Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.