Abstact

Collagenase from the fly larvae Hypoderma lineatum cleaves triple-helical collagen in a single region. It was crystallized at neutral pH in the absence of inhibitor and 1.8 A data were collected using synchrotron radiation and a Mark II prototype detector. The structure was solved by combining multiple isomorphous replacement methods and rotation translation function in real space. Refinement between 7 and 1.8 A using the program X-PLOR led to a final R factor of 16.9%. The overall fold is similar to that of other trypsin-like enzymes but the structure differs mainly by the presence of a beta-sheet at position 31-44. The two embedded molecules of the asymmetric unit are related by a pseudo twofold axis. The beta-sheet 31-44 of one molecule is involved in hydrogen bonds with binding-pocket residues of the other molecule. It thus completely prevents access to the active site. The specificity of this enzyme probably results from the position of Phe192 and Tyr99 at the entrance of the active site.