Repository logo
 

Structural analyses of von Willebrand factor C domains of collagen 2A and CCN3 reveal an alternative mode of binding to bone morphogenetic protein-2

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Hyvonen, MJ 
Xu, E-R 
Blythe, EE 

Abstract

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are secreted growth factors that promote differentiation processes in embryogenesis and tissue development. Regulation of BMP signalling involves binding to a variety of extracellular proteins, among which are many von Willebrand factor C (vWC) domain-containing proteins. While the crystal structure of the complex of crossveinless-2 (CV-2) vWC1 and BMP-2 previously revealed one mode of the vWC:BMP binding mechanism, other vWC domains may bind to BMP differently. Here, using X-ray crystallography, we present for the first time structures of the vWC domains of two proteins thought to interact with BMP-2—collagen IIA and matricellular protein CCN3. We found that these two vWC domains share a similar N-terminal fold that differs greatly from that in CV-2 vWC, which comprises its BMP-2-binding site. We analysed the ability of these vWC domains to directly bind to BMP-2 and detected an interaction only between the collagen IIa vWC and BMP-2. Guided by the collagen IIa vWC domain crystal structure and conservation of surface residues among orthologous domains, we mapped the BMP-binding epitope on the subdomain 1 of the vWC domain. This binding site is different from that previously observed in the complex between CV-2 vWC and BMP-2, revealing an alternative mode of interaction between vWC domains and BMPs.

Description

Keywords

bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), collagen, crystal structure, extracellular matrix protein, protein-protein interaction, signaling, CCN proteins, vWC domain

Journal Title

Journal of Biological Chemistry

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0021-9258
1083-351X

Volume Title

292

Publisher

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Inc.
Sponsorship
This work was supported by Cambridge Overseas Trust and China Scholarship Council through a postgraduate scholarship to E-R. X.