Nature Communications (Nov 2022)

Alkaloid binding to opium poppy major latex proteins triggers structural modification and functional aggregation

  • Natali Ozber,
  • Samuel C. Carr,
  • Jeremy S. Morris,
  • Siyu Liang,
  • Jacinta L. Watkins,
  • Kristian M. Caldo,
  • Jillian M. Hagel,
  • Kenneth K. S. Ng,
  • Peter J. Facchini

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-34313-6
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 1
pp. 1 – 16

Abstract

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Opium poppy accumulates alkaloids in the specialized cytoplasm of laticifers known as latex. Here the authors show that the binding of alkaloids to the abundant major latex proteins triggers quaternary structural modification that mediates a functional role for protein aggregation.