Structural Genomics Centers for Infectious Diseases

Structure of the Month

Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Ras-like Transport Protein

This protein from M. tuberculosis is a member of the Ras superfamily of proteins. The Ras superfamily encompasses more than 100 proteins, which are generally involved in signal transduction. Activating mutations in human Ras are associated with many types of cancer.

While originally annotated as an arginine/ornithine transport system ATPase, researchers found that the protein is most likely a GTPase based on guanosine-5'-triphosphate bound to the structure. The structure of the GTPase domain of the protein is similar to that of human Ras and several amino acids that line the GTP binding pocket are conserved.

The structure is related in sequence and structure to the methylmalonic acidemia type A protein (PDB ID 2WWW), a protein which is responsible for a potentially fatal metabolic disorder in humans.

For more information, please see the Protein Data Bank entry 3MD0.

This structure was determined by the Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Diseases.

Past Features

• 2009 H1N1 Influenza – NS1 Protein
• Burkholderia pseudomallei protein
• Clostridium difficile: enzyme 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase
• MbtH protein Rv2377c
• Vibrio cholerae toxin
• Burkholderia pseudomallei enzyme -2’-O-methyl RNA methyltransferase