Creating Non-Natural Proteins from Genomic Templates
Author Information
Author(s): Dhar Pawan K, Thwin Chaw Su, Tun Kyaw, Tsumoto Yuko, Maurer-Stroh Sebastian, Eisenhaber Frank, Surana Uttam
Primary Institution: RIKEN Advanced Sciences Institute
Hypothesis
Can non-natural proteins be synthesized from natural genomic templates?
Conclusion
This study successfully demonstrates the artificial synthesis of non-natural proteins from genomic templates, revealing their potential structures and effects on cell growth.
Supporting Evidence
- All six proteins showed significantly low similarity to known proteins in the NCBI database.
- EKA1 expression inhibited cell growth, which was rescued by culturing in inducer-free medium.
- Computational predictions suggested globular structures for two of the six non-natural proteins.
Takeaway
Scientists made new proteins that don't exist in nature by using parts of DNA that usually don't code for proteins. They found that some of these new proteins can change how cells grow.
Methodology
Six unique intergenic regions were selected and expressed in E. coli using the pBAD vector, followed by confirmation of protein expression through Western blot.
Limitations
The study does not explore the effects of prefix and suffix sequences on protein folding and functionality.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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