The Crystal Structure of Lysin, a Fertilization Protein
- 17 December 1993
- journal article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 262 (5141) , 1864-1867
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.8266073
Abstract
Lysin, a protein from abalone sperm, creates a hole in the envelope of the egg, permitting the sperm to pass through the envelope and fuse with the egg. The structure of lysin, refined at 1.9 angstroms resolution, reveals an alpha-helical, amphipathic molecule. The surface of the protein exhibits three features: two tracks of basic residues that span the length of the molecule, a solvent-exposed cluster of aromatic and aliphatic amino acids, and an extended amino-terminal hypervariable domain that is species-specific. The structure suggests possible mechanisms of action.Keywords
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