Emergence of protein-like higher-order structure and molecular recognition ability by dynamic exchange of polypeptide side chains

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K13705
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Polymer chemistry
• Research Institution: Yokohama National University
• Principal Investigator: OYAMA Toshiyuki 横浜国立大学, 大学院工学研究院, 教授 (30313472)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): TOKORO Yuichiro 横浜国立大学, 大学院工学研究院, 助教 (80709692)
• Research Collaborator: INOUE Yuki ; URAI Satoshi ; NAKAGAWA Kazutoshi ; KITAHARA Yukina
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: ポリペプチド / 動的共有結合 / 高次構造 / タンパク質

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A water-soluble polypeptide having a methyl thioester structure at the side chain was synthesized, and this polypeptide was reacted with various low-molecular-weight thiols in water. As a result, progress of dynamic bond exchange between thioester and thiol was confirmed, which indicates successful rearrangement of the polypeptide side-chain sequence in water. It was also revealed that the higher-order structure of the polypeptide changed with the progress of side-chain exchange. Furthermore, it was shown that when the exchange was carried out by using low-molecular-weight thiols having relatively high solubility in water, the resulting copolypeptide could be isolated while maintaining the side-chain composition and higher-order structure generated during the exchange reaction.

Free Research Field

機能性高分子の合成および応用