Selective binding of guanine base by a tryptophan-containing dipeptide

Abstract

The crystal structure of the m7GMP–Trp-Glu (1:1) complex crystal shows the tight linkage of the guanine base with the peptide backbone chain via triple hydrogen bonds and a prominent stacking formation with the indole ring of tryptophan; this suggests the importance of a combination of these means for the selective binding of the guanine base by protein.