Development of novel materials by design of artificial proteins

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H04779
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Biophysics
• Research Institution: Yokohama City University
• Principal Investigator: Tame Jeremy 横浜市立大学, 生命医科学研究科, 教授 (00336588)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 池上 貴久 横浜市立大学, 生命医科学研究科, 教授 (20283939)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 人工たんぱく質 / 構造解析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Several novel proteins have been created, and tested for their ability to self-assemble from separate subunits. Various polyoxometalate (POM) clusters and symmetrical artificial proteins of matching symmetry have been combined to build large-scale hybrid assemblies with a protein called Pizza, that we designed and described previously. The POM-Pizza interaction was measured using various biophysical techniques, and crystal structures of the complexes were solved. In a separate project, a novel lectin from a species of mussel was found to bind to the glycan of asialo-GM1. The crystal structure of this protein has been solved, and further work to develop a useful biomedical tool from this protein, by building larger networks with it, is underway.

Free Research Field

生化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

いくつかの癌細胞類は細胞外面にasialo-GM1という糖脂質を提示している。イガイの一種からみつかった新規レクチン(SEVIL)がasialo-GM1の糖鎖部分に結合することがわかった。 すでにSEVILの結晶構造解明に成功しており、このタンパク質から有用な癌検出ツールを開発するためのさらなる研究を進めている。SEVILの糖鎖に対する親和性は、比較的弱いため、SEVILが大きな多量体を形成するようなタンパク質の設計を試みている。これにより、非常に敏感な糖鎖検出ツールを創出できる。