Crystal Structures of Rbsd Leading to the Identification of Cytoplasmic Sugar-Binding Proteins with a Novel Folding Architecture
Kim, M.-S., Shin, J., Lee, W., Lee, H.-S., Oh, B.-H.(2003) J Biol Chem 278: 28173
- PubMed: 12738765 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M304523200
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
1OGC, 1OGD, 1OGE, 1OGF - PubMed Abstract: 
RbsD is the only protein whose biochemical function is unknown among the six gene products of the rbs operon involved in the active transport of ribose. FucU, a paralogue of RbsD conserved from bacteria to human, is also the only protein whose function is unknown among the seven gene products of the l-fucose regulon. Here we report the crystal structures of Bacillus subtilis RbsD, which reveals a novel decameric toroidal assembly of the protein. Nuclear magnetic resonance and other studies on RbsD reveal that the intersubunit cleft of the protein binds specific forms of d-ribose, but it does not have an enzyme activity toward the sugar. Likewise, FucU binds l-fucose but lacks an enzyme activity toward this sugar. We conclude that RbsD and FucU are cytoplasmic sugar-binding proteins, a novel class of proteins whose functional role may lie in helping influx of the sugar substrates.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Center for Biomolecular Recognition and Division of Molecular and Life Science, Department of Life Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Kyungbuk, 790-784, Korea.