Dinosaur peptides suggest mechanisms of protein survival
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Antonio-2011-Dinosaur peptides su.pdf
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Author(s)
San Antonio, James D.
Schweitzer, Mary H.
Jensen, Shane T.
Kalluri, Raghu
Buckley, Michael
Orgel, Joseph P. R. O.
Date Issued
June 2011
Journal
PLoS ONE
Publisher
Public Library of Science
Citation
San Antonio, James D. et al. “Dinosaur Peptides Suggest Mechanisms of Protein Survival.” Ed. Hendrik W. van Veen. PLoS ONE 6 (2011): e20381.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Eleven collagen peptide sequences recovered from chemical extracts of dinosaur bones were mapped onto molecular models of the vertebrate collagen fibril derived from extant taxa. The dinosaur peptides localized to fibril regions protected by the close packing of collagen molecules, and contained few acidic amino acids. Four peptides mapped to collagen regions crucial for cell-collagen interactions and tissue development. Dinosaur peptides were not represented in more exposed parts of the collagen fibril or regions mediating intermolecular cross-linking. Thus functionally significant regions of collagen fibrils that are physically shielded within the fibril may be preferentially preserved in fossils. These results show empirically that structure-function relationships at the molecular level could contribute to selective preservation in fossilized vertebrate remains across geological time, suggest a ‘preservation motif’, and bolster current concepts linking collagen structure to biological function. This non-random distribution supports the hypothesis that the peptides are produced by the extinct organisms and suggests a chemical mechanism for survival.
MIT Department
Harvard University--MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology
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Creative Commons Attribution
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0020381
