Abstract
A systematic screening of sequence databases with a motif hitherto found only in animal and poxvirus proteins has revealed a trail leading back to prokaryotes. Fortuitously, an X-ray structure is available for one of the identified sequences and shows the fundamental fold to be a set of circularly arranged beta sheets. This structure may be very widely distributed throughout the biological world in sialidases and some other enzymes. In bacteria, a mobile noncatalytic domain is often associated with these same enzymes.
Publication types
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Comparative Study
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Alcohol Oxidoreductases / chemistry*
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Amino Acid Sequence*
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Animals
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Bacteria / enzymology
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Biological Evolution
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Drosophila / enzymology
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Fungi / enzymology
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Galactose Oxidase / chemistry*
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Neuraminidase / chemistry*
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Protein Structure, Secondary
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Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid
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Sequence Alignment
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Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
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Viruses / enzymology
Substances
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Alcohol Oxidoreductases
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glyoxal oxidase
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Galactose Oxidase
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Neuraminidase