Spontaneous proton transfer to a conserved intein residue determines on-pathway protein splicing.

ABSTRACT: The discovery of inteins, which are protein-splicing elements, has stimulated interest for various applications in chemical biology, bioseparations, drug delivery, and sensor development. However, for inteins to effectively contribute to these applications, an increased mechanistic understanding of cleavage and splicing reactions is required. While the multistep chemical reaction that leads to splicing is often explored and utilized, it is not clear how the intein navigates through the reaction space. The sequence of reaction steps must progress in concert in order to yield efficient splicing while minimizing off-pathway cleavage reactions. In this study, we demonstrate that formation of a previously identified branched intermediate is the critical step for determining splicing over cleava

SUBMITTER: Pereira B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3034788 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature