A number of protein complexes have been developed as nanoscale templates. These can be functionalized using peptide sequences that bind inorganic materials or by fusion to binding or catalytic proteins. In order to integrate peptides and proteins into specific positions in a protein template, we used circular permutation to relocate the amino and carboxy termini of the polypeptide chain. Additional sequences can then be joined to the protein termini. This minimizes disruption of the protein structure and reduces restrictions on size and conformation of the added sequence. We relocated the termini of a Sulfolobus shibatae chaperonin subunit to five different locations across the outside surface of the chaperonin complex (after residues 153, 267, 316, 480 and 499). These changes place the termini on the outside surface of the chaperonin complex. The permutants formed double rings and higher-order assemblies similar to those observed in the natural protein. When enhanced yellow fluorescent protein was fused to two chaperonin subunits permuted at positions 267 and 480, the resulting fusion protein was fluorescent and formed assembled double rings and higher-order structure. This approach is applicable to other nanoscale protein templates.
Much effort has gone into finding peptides that bind potentially useful nanoparticles, but relatively little effort has focused on the scaffolds that organize these peptides into useful nanostructures. Chaperonins are protein complexes with 14-18 protein subunits that self-assemble into double-ring complexes and function as scaffolds for peptides or amino acids that bind metallic and semiconductor quantum dots. The utility of chaperonins as scaffolds depends on their structure and their ability to self-assemble into double-rings and higher-order structures, such as filaments and two-dimensional arrays. To better understand the structure of chaperonins, we constructed a model of a group II chaperonin and, based on this model, genetically constructed five mutant subunits with significant deletions. We expressed these mutants as recombinant proteins and observed by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that they all self-assembled into double rings. Our model predicted and TEM confirmed that these deletions did not significantly change the 17 nm diameter of the wild-type double rings, but decreased their height and opened their central cavities. Four of the five mutants formed higher-order structures: chains of rings, bundles of chains or filaments, and two-dimensional arrays, which we suggest can be useful nanostructures.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.