Structure of the Folded, Inactive State of Human Beta-Defensin 1 (IMAGE)

Technical University of Munich (TUM)

Structure of the Folded, Inactive State of Human Beta-Defensin 1

Caption

Surprisingly, while almost all proteins are active only in their folded form, in the case of the small defensin the opposite is true. To activate the beta-defensin 1 the thioredoxin opens the three disulphide bridges that hold the molecule together. The molecule then opens up into the active state. Using this mechanism the body has the opportunity to selectively activate the defensin.

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TUM

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