Abstact

S100A1 is a member of the S100 family of Ca2+-binding proteins and regulates several cellular processes, including those involved in Ca2+ signaling and cardiac and skeletal muscle function. In Alzheimer's disease, brain S100A1 is overexpressed and gives rise to disease pathologies, making it a potential therapeutic target. The 2.25 Å resolution crystal structure of Ca2+-S100A1 is solved here and is compared with the structures of other S100 proteins, most notably S100B, which is a highly homologous S100-family member that is implicated in the progression of malignant melanoma. The observed structural differences in S100A1 versus S100B provide insights regarding target protein-binding specificity and for targeting these two S100 proteins in human diseases using structure-based drug-design approaches.