Ligand size is a major determinant of specificity in periplasmic oxyanion-binding proteins: the 1.2 A resolution crystal structure of Azotobacter vinelandii ModA.
Lawson, D.M., Williams, C.E., Mitchenall, L.A., Pau, R.N.(1998) Structure 6: 1529-1539
- PubMed: 9862806 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0969-2126(98)00151-8
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
1ATG - PubMed Abstract: 
. Periplasmic receptors constitute a diverse class of binding proteins that differ widely in size, sequence and ligand specificity. Nevertheless, almost all of them display a common beta/alpha folding motif and have similar tertiary structures consisting of two globular domains. The ligand is bound at the bottom of a deep cleft, which lies at the interface between these two domains. The oxyanion-binding proteins are notable in that they can discriminate between very similar ligands.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Nitrogen Fixation Laboratory John Innes Centre Norwich NR4 7UH UK. david.lawson@bbsrc.ac.uk