화학공학소재연구정보센터
Biomacromolecules, Vol.13, No.7, 1996-2002, 2012
Designed Ankyrin Repeat Proteins as Scaffolds for Multivalent Recognition
Ankyrin repeat (AR) proteins are composed of tandem repeats of a basic structural motif of ca. 33 amino acid residues that form a beta-turn followed by two antiparallel alpha-helices. Multiple repeats stack together in a modular fashion to form a scaffold that is ideally suited for the presentation of multiple functional groups and/or recognition elements. Here we describe a biosynthetic strategy that takes advantage of the modular nature of these proteins to generate multivalent ligands that are both chemically homogeneous and structurally well-defined. Glycosylated AR. proteins cluster the tetrameric lectin concanavalin A (Con A) at a rate that is comparable to the rate of Con A aggregation mediated by globular protein conjugates and variable density linear polymers. Thus, AR proteins define a new class of multivalent ligand scaffolds that have significant potential application in the study and control of a variety of multivalent interactions.