Abstact

The aggregation and membrane fusion properties of annexin II are modulated by the association with a regulatory light chain called p11.p11 is a member of the S100 EF-hand protein family, which is unique in having lost its calcium-binding properties. We report the first structure of a complex between p11 and its cognate peptide, the N-terminus of annexin II, as well as that of p11 alone. The basic unit for p11 is a tight, non-covalent dimer. In the complex, each annexin II peptide forms hydrophobic interactions with both p11 monomers, thus providing a structural basis for high affinity interactions between an S100 protein and its target sequence. Finally, p11 forms a disulfide-linked tetramer in both types of crystals thus suggesting a model for an oxidized form of other S100 proteins that have been found in the extracellular milieu.