Single molecule force spectroscopy reveals engineered metal chelation is a general approach to enhance mechanical stability of proteins.

ABSTRACT: Significant mechanical stability is an essential feature shared by many elastomeric proteins, which function as molecular springs in a wide variety of biological machinery and biomaterials of superb mechanical properties. Despite the progress in understanding molecular determinants of mechanical stability, it remains challenging to rationally enhance the mechanical stability of proteins. Using single molecule force spectroscopy and protein engineering techniques, we demonstrate that engineered bi-histidine metal chelation can enhance the mechanical stability of proteins significantly and reversibly. Based on simple thermodynamic cycle analysis, we engineered a bi-histidine metal chelation site into various locations of the small protein, GB1, to achieve preferential stabilization of the na

SUBMITTER: Cao Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2516265 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature