A CYTOPLASMIC, PEPTIDE OF THE NEUROTROPHIN RECEPTOR P75NTR - INDUCTION OF APOPTOSIS AND NMR DETERMINED HELICAL CONFORMATION

The neurotrophin receptor (NTR) and tumor necrosis factor receptor fam ily of receptors regulate apoptotic cell death during development and in adult tissues [Beutler and van Huffel, Science 264 (1994) 667-668]. We have examined a fragment of p75NTR from the carboxyl terminus of t he receptor and a variant form of this peptide via NMR techniques and in vitro assays for apoptotic activity. The wild type peptide induces apoptosis and adopts a helical conformation oriented parallel to the s urface of lipid micelles, whereas the variant form adopts a non-helica l conformation in the presence of lipid and shows no activity. These e xperiments suggest a link between structure and function of the two pe ptides. (C) 1997 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.