Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

X-ray analysis of glucagon and its relationship to receptor binding

Nature volume 257, pages 751–757 (1975)Cite this article

Abstract

X-ray analysis of the pancreatic hormone glucagon shows that in crystals the polypeptide adopts a mainly helical conformation, which is stabilised by hydrophobic interactions between molecules related by threefold symmetry. A model is presented in which the glucagon molecule exists in dilute solutions as an equilibrium population of conformers with little retention of structure, and in which the helical conformation is stabilised by hydrophobic interactions either as an oligomer or as a complex with the receptor.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bromer, W. W., Sinn, L. G., and Behrens, O. K., J. Am. chem. Soc., 79, 2807–2810 (1957).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Pohl, S. L., Birnbaumer, L., and Rodbell, M., Science, 164, 566–569 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Gratzer, W. B., Beavan, G. H., Rattle, H. W. E., and Bradbury, E. M., Eur. J. Biochem, 3, 276–283 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Blanchard, M. H., and King, M. V., Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun., 25, 298–303 (1966).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Panijpan, B., and Gratzer, W. B., Eur. J. Biochem., 45, 547–553 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Gratzer, W. B., and Beavan, G. H., J. biol. Chem., 244, 6675–6679 (1969).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Bornet, H., and Edelhoch, H., J. biol. Chem., 246, 1785–1792 (1971).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Schneider, A. B., and Edelhoch, H., J. biol. Chem., 247, 4986–4991 (1972).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. King, M. V., J. molec. Biol., 1, 375–377 (1959); 11, 549–561 (1965).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Haugen, W. P., and Lipscomb, W. N., Acta Crystallogr., A 25 (Suppl.) S185 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Blundell, T. L., Hodgkin, D. C., Dodson, G. G., and Mercola, D. A., Adv. Protein Chem., 26, 279–402 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Staub, A., Sinn, L., and Behrens, O. K., J. biol. Chem., 214, 619–632 (1955).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Tickle, I. J., Acta Crystallogr., B 31, 329–331 (1975).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. North, A. C. T., Phillips, D. C., and Mathews, F. S., Acta Crystallogr., A 24, 351–359 (1968).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Harding, M., thesis, Oxford Univ. (1962).

  16. Singh, A. K., and Ramasehan, S., Acta Crystallogr., 21, 279–280 (1966).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Matthews, B. W., Acta Crystallogr., 20, 230–239 (1966).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. North, A. C. T., Acta Crystallogr., 18, 212–216 (1965).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Blow, D. M., and Crick, F. H. C., Acta Crystallogr., 12, 794–802 (1959).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Richards, F. M., J. molec. Biol., 37, 225–230 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Swann, J. C., and Hammes, G. G., Biochemistry, 8, 1–7 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Frank, B. H., and Pekar, A. H., J. biol. Chem., 249, 4846–4850 (1974).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Rodbell, M., Birnbaumer, L., Pohl, S. L., and Sundby, F., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 68, 909–913 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Birnbaumer, L., Pohl, S. L., and Rodbell, M., J. biol. Chem., 244, 3468–3475 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  25. Epand, R. M., Epand, R. F., and Vijay Iaxmi, G., Archs Biochem. Biophys., 154, 132–136 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Epand, R. M., and Wheeler, G. E., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 393, 236–240 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Contaxis, C. C., and Epand, R. M., Can. J. Biochem., 52, 456–468 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Schwyzer, R., Pure appl. Chem., 6, 265–295 (1963).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Birgen, A. S. V., Roberts, G. C. K., and Feeney, J., Nature, 253, 754–755 (1975).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  30. Levey, G. S., Fletcher, M. A., Klein, I., Ruiz, E., and Schenk, A., J. biol. Chem., 249, 2665–2673 (1974).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Beddell, C. R., et al., J. med. Chem., 18, 417–423 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Dorota A. Adamiak

    Present address: Universytet im Adama Mickiewicza, Poznan, ul. Grunwaldzka 6, Poland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biochemistry Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Sussex University, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK

    Kyoyu Sasaki, Susan Dockerill, Dorota A. Adamiak, Ian J. Tickle & Tom Blundell

Authors
  1. Kyoyu Sasaki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Susan Dockerill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Dorota A. Adamiak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ian J. Tickle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Tom Blundell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sasaki, K., Dockerill, S., Adamiak, D. et al. X-ray analysis of glucagon and its relationship to receptor binding. Nature 257, 751–757 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/257751a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/257751a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing