The Pentraxins are a family of proteins characterised by calcium dependent ligand binding and a distinctive flattened β-jellyroll structure similar to that of the legume lectins (Emsley J. et al., 1994). The name "pentraxin" is derived from the Greek word for five (penta) and berries (ragos) relating to the radial symmetry of five monomers forming a ring approximately 95Å across and 35Å deep. The "short" pentraxins include Serum Amyloid P component (SAP) and C reactive protein (CRP). The "long" pentraxins include PTX3 (a cytokine modulated molecule) and several neuronal pentraxins. It also activates the complement system.
References
- Emsley, J., White, H.E., O’Hara, B.P., Oliva, G., Srinivasan, N., Tickle, I.J., Blundell, T.L., Pepys, M.B. and Wood S.P. (1994) Structure of pentameric human serum amyloid P component. Nature 367:338-345
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