Reconfigurable asymmetric protein assemblies through implicit negative design

Science. 2022 Jan 21;375(6578):eabj7662. doi: 10.1126/science.abj7662. Epub 2022 Jan 21.

Abstract

Asymmetric multiprotein complexes that undergo subunit exchange play central roles in biology but present a challenge for design because the components must not only contain interfaces that enable reversible association but also be stable and well behaved in isolation. We use implicit negative design to generate β sheet-mediated heterodimers that can be assembled into a wide variety of complexes. The designs are stable, folded, and soluble in isolation and rapidly assemble upon mixing, and crystal structures are close to the computational models. We construct linearly arranged hetero-oligomers with up to six different components, branched hetero-oligomers, closed C4-symmetric two-component rings, and hetero-oligomers assembled on a cyclic homo-oligomeric central hub and demonstrate that such complexes can readily reconfigure through subunit exchange. Our approach provides a general route to designing asymmetric reconfigurable protein systems.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Multiprotein Complexes / chemistry*
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Conformation, beta-Strand
  • Protein Engineering*
  • Protein Folding
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Protein Structure, Quaternary
  • Protein Subunits
  • Proteins / chemistry*

Substances

  • Multiprotein Complexes
  • Protein Subunits
  • Proteins