Artificial design of living polymerizing proteins

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K14737
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 37010:Bio-related chemistry
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Matsunaga Ryo 東京大学, 大学院工学系研究科(工学部), 助教 (70895466)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 蛋白質工学 / イソペプチド結合 / 重合 / ブレビバチルス発現系

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I conducted research to create living polymerizable proteins by controlling the activity of the reaction end using dynamic conformational changes due to domain-domain interactions and isopeptide bond formation. As a result, I succeeded in designing a protein that is activated by domain-domain interaction when another protein domain is bound adjacent to the inactive protein domain. Living polymerization can be achieved by designing another protein domain with similar properties. In addition, by improving the Brevibacillus expression system, which enables rapid and highly efficient protein expression, I have succeeded in secretory expression of various proteins that were previously considered difficult to express.

Free Research Field

蛋白質工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

合成高分子化学の分野で明らかなように、分子量分布を狭く制御することは材料物性を制御するうえで重要課題の一つであり、蛋白質からなるポリマーにおいても分子量分布の精密制御が材料応用に向けた本質的課題である。したがって、本研究の発展により優れた物性を有する蛋白質材料の創製が可能になると考えられる。また、ブレビバチルス発現系の改良により、分子設計と解析のサイクルを高速化し、迅速な蛋白質設計の改良が可能となった。