These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Distinct structural elements in GDNF mediate binding to GFRalpha1 and activation of the GFRalpha1-c-Ret receptor complex.
    Author: Eketjäll S, Fainzilber M, Murray-Rust J, Ibáñez CF.
    Journal: EMBO J; 1999 Nov 01; 18(21):5901-10. PubMed ID: 10545102.
    Abstract:
    Ligand-induced receptor oligomerization is a widely accepted mechanism for activation of cell-surface receptors. We investigated ligand-receptor interactions in the glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) receptor complex, formed by the c-Ret receptor tyrosine kinase and the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored subunit GDNF family receptor alpha-1 (GFRalpha1). As only GFRalpha1 can bind GDNF directly, receptor complex formation is thought to be initiated by GDNF binding to this receptor. Here we identify an interface in GDNF formed by exposed acidic and hydrophobic residues that is critical for binding to GFRalpha1. Unexpectedly, several GDNF mutants deficient in GFRalpha1 binding retained the ability to bind and activate c-Ret at normal levels. Although impaired in binding GFRalpha1 efficiently, these mutants still required GFRalpha1 for c-Ret activation. These findings support a role for c-Ret in ligand binding and indicate that GDNF does not initiate receptor complex formation, but rather interacts with a pre-assembled GFRalpha1- c-Ret complex.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]