De novo design of a single-chain diphenylporphyrin metalloprotein

J Am Chem Soc. 2007 Sep 5;129(35):10732-40. doi: 10.1021/ja071199j. Epub 2007 Aug 10.

Abstract

We describe the computational design of a single-chain four-helix bundle that noncovalently self-assembles with fully synthetic non-natural porphyrin cofactors. With this strategy, both the electronic structure of the cofactor as well as its protein environment may be varied to explore and modulate the functional and photophysical properties of the assembly. Solution characterization (NMR, UV-vis) of the protein showed that it bound with high specificity to the desired cofactors, suggesting that a uniquely structured protein and well-defined site had indeed been created. This provides a genetically expressed single-chain protein scaffold that will allow highly facile, flexible, and asymmetric variations to enable selective incorporation of different cofactors, surface-immobilization, and introduction of spectroscopic probes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Chromatography, Gel
  • Circular Dichroism
  • Metalloproteins / chemical synthesis
  • Metalloproteins / chemistry*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Porphyrins / chemical synthesis
  • Porphyrins / chemistry*
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
  • Thermodynamics
  • Ultracentrifugation

Substances

  • Metalloproteins
  • Porphyrins