Engineering proteins: keeping up with biology

Intein-mediated protein ligation: harnessing nature's escape artists

Inteins are naturally occurring proteins that are involved in the precise cleavage and formation of peptide bonds in a process known as protein splicing. Genetic engineering has allowed the controllable cleavage of peptide bonds at either the N- or C-terminus of the intein. Inteins displaying controllable cleavage have been used in the isolation of bacterially expressed proteins possessing either a C-terminal thioester or an N-terminal cysteine. The specific placement of these reactive groups has allowed either protein-protein or protein-peptide condensation through a native peptide bond. This review describes the methods used to specifically generate these reactive groups on bacterially expressed proteins and some applications of this technique, known as intein-mediated protein ligation. Furthermore, a versatile two intein (TWIN) system will be described which enables the circularization and polymerization of bacterially expressed proteins or peptides.

Active-site variants of Streptomyces griseus protease B with peptide-ligation activity

BACKGROUND

Peptide-ligating technologies facilitate a range of manipulations for the study of protein structure and function that are not possible using conventional genetic or mutagenic methods. To different extents, the currently available enzymatic and nonenzymatic methodologies are synthetically demanding, sequence-dependent and/or sensitive to denaturants. No single coupling method is universally applicable. Accordingly, new strategies for peptide ligation are sought.

RESULTS

Site-specific variants (Ser195-->Gly, S195G, and Ser195-->Ala, S195A) of Streptomyces griseus protease B (SGPB) were generated that efficiently catalyze peptide ligation (i.e., aminolysis of ester-, thioester- and para-nitroanilide-activated peptides). The variants also showed reduced hydrolytic activity relative to the wild-type enzyme. The ratio of aminolysis to hydrolysis was greater for the S195A variant, which was also capable of catalyzing ligation in concentrations of urea as high as 2 M.

CONCLUSIONS

Mutagenic substitution of the active-site serine residue of SGPB by either glycine or alanine has created a unique class of peptide-ligating catalysts that are useful for coupling relatively stable ester- and para-nitroanilide-activated substrates. Ligation proceeds through an acyl-enzyme intermediate involving His57. Serine to alanine mutations may provide a general strategy for converting proteases with chymotrypsin-like protein folds into peptide-coupling enzymes.

InBase, the Intein Database

InBase, the Intein Database (http://www.neb.com/neb/inteins.html ), is a comprehensive on-line resource that includes the Intein Registry. Inteins are protein splicing elements that mediate a self-catalytic protein splicing reaction. InBase presents general information as well as detailed data for each intein, including tabu-lated comparisons and a comprehensive bibliography.