The 2.5 Å crystal structure of the full length
human placental isoform of the Gly12 to Val mutant Cdc42
protein (Cdc42(G12V)) bound to both GDP/Mg2+
and GDPNH2 (guanosine-5′-diphospho-β-amidate)
is reported. The crystal contains two molecules in the
asymmetric unit, of which one has bound GDP/Mg2+,
while the other has bound GDPNH2 without a Mg2+
ion. Crystallization of the protein was induced via hydrolysis
of the Cdc42·GppNHp complex by the presence of contaminating
alkaline phosphatase activity in combination with the crystallization
conditions. This prompted us to compare the binding characteristics
of GDPNH2 vs. GDP. The amino group of GDPNH2
drastically reduces the affinity to Cdc42 in comparison
with that of GDP, causes the loss of the Mg2+
ion, and apparently also increases the conformational flexibility
of the protein as seen in the crystal. Both the switch
I and switch II regions are visible in the electron density
of the GDP-bound molecule, but not in the molecule bound
to GDPNH2. The C-terminus containing the CaaX-motif
is partly ordered in both molecules due to an intramolecular
disulfide bond formed between Cys105/Cys188 and Cys305/Cys388,
respectively.