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N G Richards

Publications and source records attributed to N G Richards.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

An alternative mechanism for the nitrogen transfer reaction in asparagine synthetase.

In the absence of crystallographic data, the mechanism of nitrogen transfer from glutamine in asparagine synthetase (AS) remains under active investigation. Surprisingly, the glutamine-dependent AS from Escherichia coli (AsnB) appears to lack a conserved histidine residue, necessary for nitrogen transfer if the reaction proceeds by the accepted pathway in other glutamine amidotransferases, but retains the ability to synthesize asparagine. We propose an alternative mechanism for nitrogen transfer in AsnB which obviates the requirement for participation of histidine in this step. Our hypothesis may also be more generally applicable to other glutamine-dependent amidotransferases.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Multidomain binding of transforming growth factor alpha to the epidermal growth factor receptor.

Solubilized epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) has been used in an extension of the Geysen epitope mapping protocol in order to provide additional insight into the amino acid residues in human transforming growth factor alpha (hTGF alpha) which are critical to recognition and binding. Overlapping heptapeptides which encompassed the 50 amino acid primary sequence of hTGF alpha were synthesized on a polyethylene solid phase, and the amount of detergent-solubilized EGF-R bound to each peptide was measured using ELISA. EGF-R appeared to bind reproducibly to four heptapeptides cognate to sequences in both the N- and C-domains of hTGF alpha (residues 22-28, 28-34, 36-42, and 44-50). Visualization of these four regions on three-dimensional solution phase structures of hTGF alpha, derived from 1H NMR measurements [Kline, T.-P., Brown, F.K., Brown, S.C., Jeffs, P.W., Kopple, K.D., & Mueller, L. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 7805-7813], indicated that the peptide segments are located on a single face of the protein and suggested the presence of a potential receptor binding cavity. If peptide segments within both the N- and C-domains of hTGF alpha are involved in binding to EGF-R, then this has direct consequences for possible molecular mechanisms by which receptor activation might take place. For example, the observed conformational flexibility in the six NMR-derived hTGF alpha structures due to variations in the main-chain torsion angles of Val-33, in combination with the involvement of residues from both domains in the proposed binding cavity, may imply that receptor activation results from interdomain reorientation in the protein ligand.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

On the representation of electrostatic fields around ab initio charge distributions.

We compare two methods (Mulliken charges and a distributed multipole analysis, DMA) of representing an ab initio charge distribution for calculating the electrostatic field and potential outside the molecule, using pyrimidine and the RNA base uracil as examples. This is done using a 3-D graphical display of the electrostatic fields, which, when used with real-time rotation, zooming and clipping, has many advantages for qualitatively assessing the electrostatic interactions of a molecule. The errors involved in using Mulliken point charges may be of similar magnitude to the total electrostatic field in regions which are important in recognition processes. The DMA representation automatically includes the anisotropic electrostatic effects of non-spherical features in the charge distribution of each atom, and yet the displayed electrostatic fields around the atoms which have lone-pair density do not show marked anisotropy.

Chemical Phenomena↗
PubMed1991

Synthesis, conformational properties, and antibody recognition of peptides containing beta-turn mimetics based on alpha-alkylproline derivatives.

Peptide recognition by monoclonal antibodies may provide a useful model for drug development, in particular to test the effects of conformational restriction on ligand binding. We have tested the influence of novel peptide mimetics upon conformation and binding affinity for the case of monoclonal antibodies raised to a peptide antigen which displays a preference for a beta-turn conformation in aqueous solution. Two monoclonals were isolated that recognized the peptide Ac-Tyr-Pro-Tyr-Asp-Val-Pro-Asp-Tyr-Ala specifically at the beta-turn formed by Tyr-Pro-Tyr-Asp. Peptide analogues were then synthesized containing mimetics designed to stabilize this conformation. One, analogue (3), contained a spirocyclic gamma-lactam bridge between the alpha-position of proline-2 and the N atom of tyrosine-3, while another (2) contained (S)-alpha-methylproline at position 2. NMR spectroscopy and molecular modeling suggest that both analogues adopt reverse-turn conformations stabilized relative to that in the native sequence. For the (S)-alpha-methylproline analogue binding to both monoclonal antibodies was substantially improved, compared with the native antigen, whereas the gamma-lactam analogue (3) was not recognized by either antibody. Quantitative equilibrium ultrafiltration binding assays showed that the affinities of the (S)-alpha-methylproline analogue (2) for the two antibodies were improved over those measured with the native antigen by -2.3 and -0.65 kcal/mol. The origins of these free energy differences cannot be explained wholly on the basis of presumed extra hydrophobic contacts between the new methyl substituent and the antigen binding sites. We propose that the increased conformational stability of the analogue plays a decisive role, implying that the reverse turn detected in the native antigen, possibly a type-I turn, is important for recognition by the two antibodies.

Amino Acid Sequence↗