期刊名称：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN：0027-8424
电子版ISSN：1091-6490
出版年度：2012
卷号：109
期号：1
页码：107-112
DOI：10.1073/pnas.1109213108
语种：English
出版社：The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要：Here we present a meta-analysis of a large collection of static structures of a protein in the Protein Data Bank in order to extract the progression of structural events during protein function. We apply this strategy to the homodimeric hemoglobin HbI from Scapharca inaequivalvis. We derive a simple dynamic model describing how binding of the first ligand in one of the two chemically identical subunits facilitates a second binding event in the other partner subunit. The results of our ultrafast time-resolved crystallographic studies support this model. We demonstrate that HbI functions like a homodimeric mechanical device, such as pliers or scissors. Ligand-induced motion originating in one subunit is transmitted to the other via conserved pivot points, where the E and F' helices from two partner subunits are "bolted" together to form a stable dimer interface permitting slight relative rotation but preventing sliding.
