Grb2 protein structure

Due to the ready accessibility of SH2 domains by molecular biology techniques, numerous experimentally determined 3D structures of SH2 domains derived by X-ray crystallography as well as heteronuclear multidimensional NMR spectroscopy are known today. The current version of the protein structure database, accessible to the scientific community by, e.g., the Internet (http //www.rcsb.org/pdb/) contains around 80 entries of SH2 domain structures and complexes thereof. Today, the SH2 domain structures of Hck [62], Src [63-66], Abl [67], Grb2 [68-71], Syp [72], PLCy [73], Fyn [74], SAP [75], Lck [76,77], the C- and N-terminal SH2 domain ofp85a [78-80], and of the tandem SH2 domains Syk [81,82], ZAP70 [83,84], and SHP-2 [85] are determined. All SH2 domains display a conserved 3D structure as can be expected from multiple sequence alignments (Fig. 4). The common structural fold consists of a central three-stranded antiparallel ft sheet that is occasionally extended by one to three additional short strands (Fig. 5). This central ft sheet forms the spine of the domain which is flanked on both sides by regular a helices [49, 50,60]. 

The structure of the mSos protein (m=mammalian) is shown in Fig. 9.8. Sequence comparison with known Ras-specific GEFs has identified a common domain of ca.200 amino acids, to which nucleotide exchange activity has been assigned. Within this domain, three highly conserved sequence elements can be differentiated, separated by more variable sections. Other structural elements include a PH domain and a Pro-rich binding domain. The Pro-rich sequence fimctions as an attachment site for the SH3 group of Grb2 protein. 

Fig. 9.8. Domain structure of mSos. The mSos-1 protein of mammals possesses a pleckstrin homology domain (PH), a Pro-rich domain for interaction with Grb2 and a catalytic domain with three sequence motifs (1,2,3) characteristic for Ras GEFs.

The insulin receptor is the prototype for a number of receptor enzymes with a similar structure and receptor Tyr kinase activity. The receptors for epidermal growth factor and platelet-derived growth factor, for example, have structural and sequence similarities to the insulin receptor, and both have a protein Tyr kinase activity that phosphorylates IRS-1. Many of these receptors dimerize after binding ligand the insulin receptor is already a dimer before insulin binds. The binding of adaptor proteins such as Grb2 to (P) Tyr residues is a common mechanism for promoting protein-protein interactions, a subject to which we return in Section 12.5. 

Figure 11-14 Ribbon drawing of the three-dimensional structure of adapter protein Grb2. The two SH3 domains at the N and C termini are labeled, as is the central SH2 domain. Produced with programs MolScript and Raster3D. From Maignan et al.i76 Courtesy of Amaud Ducruix.

Figure 1.14 NMR-structure of the Grb2-SH2 domain in complex with inhibitor 39. A central antiparallel P-sheet in the protein is flanked by two a-helices, with peptide binding mediated by the sheet, intervening loops, and one of the helices. The specific recognition of phospho-tyrosine involves cation-tr interactions between...

Fig. 3.3 The structure of the N-terminal SH3 domain of Grb2 bound to a proline-rich Sos peptide has been determined by NMR.29.30 The structure of the Gbr2 N-terminal SH3 domain, compiexed with a 10-residue peptide, comprising residues 1134-1144 (VPPPVPPRRR-NHz) of Sos, is shown. The prolyl residues, P2, P3, P6, and P7, which interact with the SH3 domain of Grb2 are marked. (The ribbon model was reproduced with permission of the authors and J. Mol. Biol, from data in ref. 30, available In databanks.) A variation of this scheme is the recognition of a proline-rich sequence (APTMPPPLPP) in the GAP protein for Rho by the SH3-domain of the cytosolic c-Abi tyrosine kinase. i This interaction couples the Rho/GAP tightly to this cytosolic tyrosine kinase and brings the momomeric G protein, Rho, under the control of phosphorylation by the kinase.

A new secondary metabolite, 8-0-methylsclerotiorinamine (27), was isolated from a strain of Penicillium multicolor, and its structure was established using NMR spectroscopy and chemical evidence. The metabolite significantly inhibited the binding between the Grb2-SH2 domain and the phosphopeptide derived from the She protein and also blocked the protein-protein interactions of Grb2-Shc in cell-based experiments, with IC50 values of 5.3 and 50 pM, respectively [85]. 

Fretz, H., Furet, P., Garcia-Echeverria, C., Rahuel, J. and Schoepfer, J. (2000) Structure-based design of compounds inhibiting Grb2-SH2 mediated protein-protein interactions in signal transduction pathways. Curr. Pharm. Des. 6 1777-1796. 

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