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Impaired copper binding by the H46R mutant of human Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase, involved in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Author(s) -
Carrì M.Teresa,
Battistoni Andrea,
Polizio Francesca,
Desideri Alessandro,
Rotilio Giuseppe
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(94)01295-4
Subject(s) - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , superoxide dismutase , mutant , dismutase , copper , sod1 , chemistry , biochemistry , in vitro , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , enzyme , biology , medicine , disease , organic chemistry
Several point mutations in the gene coding for human Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase have been reported as being responsible for familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS). However, no direct demonstration has been provided for a correlation between total superoxide dismutase activity and severity of the FALS pathology. In order to get a better insight into the mechanism (s) underlying the FALS phenotype, we have investigated the activity and the copper binding properties of the single mutant H46R, which is associated with a Japanese form of FALS. We have shown that this mutant is structurally stable but lacks significant enzyme activity and has impaired capability of binding catalytic copper. The mutant protein can be fully reconsituted with copper in vitro but its ESR spectrum displays an axial shape quite different from that of the wild‐type.