Dinosaur Peptides Suggest Mechanisms of Protein Survival
| Title: | Dinosaur Peptides Suggest Mechanisms of Protein Survival |
| Author: |
San Antonio, James D.; Schweitzer, Mary H.; Jensen, Shane T.; Buckley, Michael; Orgel, Joseph P. R. O.; van Veen, Hendrik W.; Kalluri, Raghu
Note: Order does not necessarily reflect citation order of authors. |
| Citation: | San Antonio, James D., Mary H. Schweitzer, Shane T. Jensen, Raghu Kalluri, Michael Buckley, and Joseph P. R. O. Orgel. 2011. Dinosaur Peptides Suggest Mechanisms of Protein Survival. PLoS ONE 6(6): e20381. |
| Full Text & Related Files: |
3110760.pdf (489.1Kb; PDF) 
|
| Abstract: | Eleven collagen peptide sequences recovered from chemical extracts of dinosaur bones were mapped onto molecular models of the vertebrate collagen fibril derived from extant taxa. The dinosaur peptides localized to fibril regions protected by the close packing of collagen molecules, and contained few acidic amino acids. Four peptides mapped to collagen regions crucial for cell-collagen interactions and tissue development. Dinosaur peptides were not represented in more exposed parts of the collagen fibril or regions mediating intermolecular cross-linking. Thus functionally significant regions of collagen fibrils that are physically shielded within the fibril may be preferentially preserved in fossils. These results show empirically that structure-function relationships at the molecular level could contribute to selective preservation in fossilized vertebrate remains across geological time, suggest a ‘preservation motif’, and bolster current concepts linking collagen structure to biological function. This non-random distribution supports the hypothesis that the peptides are produced by the extinct organisms and suggests a chemical mechanism for survival. |
| Published Version: | doi://10.1371/journal.pone.0020381 |
| Other Sources: | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3110760/pdf/ |
| Terms of Use: | This article is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of-use#LAA |
| Citable link to this page: | http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:5978695 |
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
-
HMS Scholarly Articles [3988]
Contact administrator regarding this item (to report mistakes or request changes)
