Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Atomic structure and chemistry of human serum albumin

Nature volume 358, pages 209–215 (1992)Cite this article

A Corrigendum to this article was published on 22 July 1993

Abstract

The three-dimensional structure of human serum albumin has been determined crystallographically to a resolution of 2.8 Å. It comprises three homologous domains that assemble to form a heart-shaped molecule. Each domain is a product of two subdomains that possess common structural motifs. The principal regions of ligand binding to human serum albumin are located in hydrophobic cavities in subdomains IIA and IIIA, which exhibit similar chemistry. The structure explains numerous physical phenomena and should provide insight into future pharmacokinetic and genetically engineered therapeutic applications of serum albumin.

Access through your institution
Buy or subscribe

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access through your institution

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Partridge, W. M. Am. J. Physiol. 252, 157–164 (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Schnitzer, J. E., Carley, W. W. & Palade, G. E. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 6773–6777 (1988).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Brown, J. R. & Shockley, P. in Lipid-Protein Interactions Vol. 1 (eds Jost, P. & Griffith, O. H.) 25–68 (Wiley, New York, 1982).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Sargent, T. D., Yang, M. & Bonner, J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 78, 243–246 (1981).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Dugiaczyk, A., Law, S. W. & Dennison, O. E. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 79, 71–75 (1982).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Brown, W. M., Dziegielewska, K. M., Foreman, R. C. & Saunders, N. R. Nucleic Acids Res. 17, 10495 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Moskaitis, J. E., Sargent, T. D., Smith, L. H. Jr, Pastori, R. L. & Scnoenberg, D. R. Molec. Endocr. 3, 464–473 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Byrnes, L. & Gannon, F. DNA Cell Biol. 9, 647–655 (1990).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Minghetti, P. P., Law, S. W. & Dugaiczyk, A. Molec. biol. Evol. 2, 347–358 (1985).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Weinstock, J. & Baldwin, G. S. Nucleic Acids Res. 16, 9045 (1988).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Gray, J. E. & Doolittle, R. F. Protein Sci. 1, 289–302 (1992).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Moringa, T., Sakai, M., Wegmann, T. G. & Tamaoki, T. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 80, 4604–4608 (1983).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Jagdodzinski, L. L., Sargent, T. D., Yang, M., Glackin, C. & Bonner, J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 78, 3521–3525 (1981).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Gorin, M. B. & Hoffman, B. J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77, 1351–1355 (1980).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Schoentgen, F. Metz-Boutigue, M.-H., Jolles, J., Constants, J. & Lolles, P. Biochim. biophys. Acta 871, 189–198.

  16. Cooke, N. E. & David, E. V. J. clin. Invest. 76, 2420–2424 (1985).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Yang, F. et al. Genomics 7, 509–516 (1990).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Brown, J. R. Fed. Proc. 35, 2141–2144 (1976).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Carter, D. C. et al. Science 244, 1195–1198 (1989).

    ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Carter, D. C. & He, X. M. Science 249, 302–303 (1990).

    ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Putnam, F. W. The Plasma Proteins 2nd edn Vol. 4 (Academic, London, 1984).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Peters, T. Jr Adv. Protein Chem. 37, 161–245 (1985).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Fehske, K. J., Muller, W. E. & Wollert, U. Biochem. Pharmac. 30, 687–692 (1981).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Kragh-Hannsen, U. Pharmac. Rev. 33, 17–53 (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  25. Quirk, A. V. et al. Biotechnol. appl. Biochem. 11, 273–287 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Luft, A. J. & Lorscheider, F. L. Biochemistry 22, 5978–5980 (1983).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Aoki, K., Sato, K., Nagoaka, S., Kamada, M. & Hiramatsu, K. Biochim. biophys. Acta 328, 323–333 (1973).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Sudlow, G., Birkett, D. J. & Wade, D. N. Molec. Pharmac. 11, 824–832 (1975).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Sudlow, G., Birkett, D. J. & Wade, D. N. Molec. Pharmac. 12, 1052–1061 (1977).

    Google Scholar 

  30. Sollene, N. P. & Means, G. E. Molec. Pharmac. 14, 754–757 (1979).

    Google Scholar 

  31. Ozeki, Y., Kurono, Y., Yotsuyanagi, T. & Ikeda, K. Pharmac. Bull. 28, 535–540 (1980).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Kurono, Y., Ozeki, Y., Yamada, H., Takeuchi, T. & Ikeda, K. Chem. Pharmac. Bull. 35, 734–739 (1987).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Hagag, N., Birnbaum, E. R. & Darnall, D. W. Biochemistry 22, 2420–2427 (1983).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Feldoff, R. C. & Ledden, D. J. Bioch. biophys. Res. Commun. 114, 20–27 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  35. Takahashi, N. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 8001–8005 (1987).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Arai, K., Ishioka, N., Huss, K., Madison, J. & Putnam, F. W. Proc. natn Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 434–438 (1989).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Galliano, M. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 8721–8725 (1990).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. King, T. P. Arch. biochem. Biophys. 156, 509–520 (1973).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Bos, O. J. M., Remijn, J. P. M., Fischer, J. E., Witling, J. & Janssen, L. H. M. Biochem. Pharmac. 37, 3905–3909 (1988).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Pedersen, S. M. Biochem. Pharmac. 35, 2661–2666 (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  41. Dixon, J. W. & Sarkar, B. J. biol. Chem. 249, 5872–5877 (1974).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Howard, A. J. et al. J. appl. Crystallogr. 20, 383–387 (1987).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Furey, W. & Swaminathan, S. Am. crystallogr. Assoc. Mtg. Abstr. Ser 2 18, 73 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  44. Wang, B. C. Meth. Enzym. 115, 90–112 (1985).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Jones, T. A. J. appl. Crystallogr. 20, 383 (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  46. Brünger, A. T., Kuriyan, J. & Karplus, M. Science 235, 458–460 (1987).

    ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Rossmann, M. G. & Blow, D. M. Acta Crystallogr. 15, 24–31 (1962).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Crowther, R. H. in The Molecular Replacement Method (ed. Rossmann, M. G.) 173–178 (Gordon & Breach, New York, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  49. Lattman, E. E. & Love, W. E. Acta Crystallogr. B26, 1854–1857 (1970).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Crowther, R. A. & Blow, D. M. Acta Crystallogr. 23, 544–548 (1967).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Fitzgerald, P. M. D. J. appl. Crystallogr. 21, 273–278 (1988).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Carson, M. J. molec. Graphics 5, 103–106 (1987).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Cambillau, C. & Horjales, E. J. molec. Graphics 5, 174 (1987).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Walker, J. E. FEBS Lett. 66, 173–175 (1976).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Daniel C. Carter: To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Space Science Laboratory, ES76 Biophysics, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama, 35812, USA

    Xiao Min He & Daniel C. Carter

Authors
  1. Xiao Min He
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  2. Daniel C. Carter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

He, X., Carter, D. Atomic structure and chemistry of human serum albumin. Nature 358, 209–215 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1038/358209a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/358209a0

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing