The structure of rat ADP-ribosylation factor-1 (ARF-1) complexed to GDP determined from two different crystal forms.

The ARFs are a family of 21,000 M(r) proteins with biological roles in constitutive secretion and activation of phospholipase D. The structure of ARF-1 complexed to GDP determined from two crystal forms reveals a topology that is similar to that of the protein p21 ras with two differences: an additional amino-terminal helix and an extra beta-strand. The Mg2+ ion in ARF-1 displays a five-coordination sphere; this feature is not seen in p21 ras, due to a shift in the relative position of the DXXG motif between the two proteins. The occurrence of a dimer in one crystal form suggests that ARF-1 may dimerize during its biological function. The dimer interface involves a region of the ARF-1 molecule that is analogous to the effector domain in p21 ras and may mediate interactions with its effectors.