Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38678117›Full record

ArticleCommunications biology2024

Structural characteristics of alpha-fetoprotein, including N-glycosylation, metal ion and fatty acid binding sites.

Kun Liu, Cang Wu, Mingyue Zhu, Junnv Xu, Bo Lin, Haifeng Lin, Zhongmin Liu, Mengsen Li

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Communications biology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

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  6. Properties of the major ZnChemical communications (Cambridge, England) · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Kun Liu *Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, 571199, Hainan, PR China.
Cang Wu *Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, PR China.ORCID 0000-0002-6218-8569
Mingyue Zhu *Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, 571199, Hainan, PR China.
Junnv Xu *Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, 571199, Hainan, PR China.
Bo LinHainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, 571199, Hainan, PR China.ORCID 0000-0003-1608-4109
Haifeng LinDepartment of Medical Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, 570023, Hainan, PR China.
Zhongmin LiuDepartment of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, PR China. liuzm@sustech.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0002-3280-3890
Mengsen LiHainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, 571199, Hainan, PR China. mengsenli@163.com.ORCID 0000-0003-2512-0386
Hainan Medical College Hospital · CNSouthern University of Science and Technology · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), a serum glycoprotein, is expressed during embryonic development and the pathogenesis of liver cancer. It serves as a clinical tumor marker, function as a carcinogen, immune suppressor, and transport vehicle; but the detailed AFP structural information has not yet been reported. In this study, we used single-particle cryo-electron microscopy(cryo-EM) to analyze the structure of the recombinant AFP obtained a 3.31 Å cryo-EM structure and built an atomic model of AFP. We observed and identified certain structural features of AFP, including N-glycosylation at Asn251, four natural fatty acids bound to distinct domains, and the coordination of metal ions by residues His22, His264, His268, and Asp280. Furthermore, we compared the structural similarities and differences between AFP and human serum albumin. The elucidation of AFP's structural characteristics not only contributes to a deeper understanding of its functional mechanisms, but also provides a structural basis for developing AFP-based drug vehicles.

Indexed as

alpha-FetoproteinsFatty AcidsModels, MolecularBinding SitesCryoelectron MicroscopyGlycosylationHumansMetalsProtein ConformationRecombinant ProteinsAFP protein, humanalpha-FetoproteinsFatty AcidsMetalsRecombinant Proteins

Identifiers

PMID38678117
PMCPMC11055904
OpenAlexW4395695549

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.