NMR and crystal structures of the Pyrococcus horikoshii RadA intein guide a strategy for engineering a highly efficient and promiscuous intein.

ABSTRACT: In protein splicing, an intervening protein sequence (intein) in the host protein excises itself out and ligates two split host protein sequences (exteins) to produce a mature host protein. Inteins require the involvement for the splicing of the first residue of the extein that follows the intein (which is Cys, Ser, or Thr). Other extein residues near the splicing junctions could modulate splicing efficiency even when they are not directly involved in catalysis. Mutual interdependence between this molecular parasite (intein) and its host protein (exteins) is not beneficial for intein spread but could be advantageous for intein survival during evolution. Elucidating extein-intein dependency has increasingly become important since inteins are recognized as useful biotechnological tools for p

SUBMITTER: Oeemig JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3392434 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature