Hepcidin revisited, disulfide connectivity, dynamics, and structure

J Biol Chem. 2009 Sep 4;284(36):24155-67. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M109.017764. Epub 2009 Jun 24.

Abstract

Hepcidin is a tightly folded 25-residue peptide hormone containing four disulfide bonds, which has been shown to act as the principal regulator of iron homeostasis in vertebrates. We used multiple techniques to demonstrate a disulfide bonding pattern for hepcidin different from that previously published. All techniques confirmed the following disulfide bond connectivity: Cys(1)-Cys(8), Cys(3)-Cys(6), Cys(2)-Cys(4), and Cys(5)-Cys(7). NMR studies reveal a new model for hepcidin that, at ambient temperatures, interconverts between two different conformations, which could be individually resolved by temperature variation. Using these methods, the solution structure of hepcidin was determined at 325 and 253 K in supercooled water. X-ray analysis of a co-crystal with Fab appeared to stabilize a hepcidin conformation similar to the high temperature NMR structure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / chemistry*
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / genetics
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / metabolism
  • CHO Cells
  • Cricetinae
  • Cricetulus
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Disulfides / chemistry*
  • Disulfides / metabolism
  • Hepcidins
  • Humans
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Protein Folding*
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary / physiology

Substances

  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
  • Disulfides
  • HAMP protein, human
  • Hepcidins

Associated data

  • PDB/2KEF
  • PDB/3H0T