Protein Self-Assembly

Chemical Design of Protein Self-Assembly

Whether through the formation of complex biological machines or architectures with advanced materials properties, protein self-assembly is the predominant means of building complexity in living systems. The formation of natural protein assemblies typically involves numerous weak, non-covalent interactions, which are difficult to design from scratch. Thus, a major thrust in our lab has been to simplify the protein design space by the use of rationally designed metal coordination interactions and dynamic covalent bonds, often in conjunction with computational design. These approaches have yielded both discrete and infinite/periodic assemblies which exhibit dynamic behavior and novel mechanical attributes. Currently, we are seeking to expand our toolbox of chemical bonding strategies and building blocks to construct protein assemblies with structural, functional and mechanical properties beyond those explored by natural evolution.

Principal members: Jie, Nicole, Iris, Yiying
Affiliated members: Ling, Kenneth, Albert

 

Selected Publications

 


R. Alberstein, Y. Suzuki, F. Paesani, F.A. Tezcan. Engineering the entropy-driven free-energy landscape of a dynamic nanoporous protein assembly, Nat. Chem. (2018).[PDF]


Y. Suzuki, G. Cardone, D. Restrepo, P.D. Zavattieri, T.S. Baker, F.A. Tezcan. Self-assembly of coherently dynamic, auxetic, two-dimensional protein crystals, Nature (2016).[PDF]


J.D. Brodin, J.R. Carr, P.A. Sontz, F.A. Tezcan. Exceptionally stable redox-active supramolecular protein assemblies with emergent properties, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 111, 2897-2902 (2014).[PDF]


J.D. Brodin*, S.J. Smith*, J.R. Carr, F.A. Tezcan. Designed, Helical Protein Nanotubes with Variable Diameters from a Single Building Block, J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2015).[PDF]


A. Medina-Morales, A. Perez, J.D. Brodin, F. A. Tezcan. In Vitro and Cellular Self-Assembly of a Zn-Binding Protein Cryptand via Templated Disulfide Bonds, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135 12013-12022 (2013). [PDF]


D. J. E. Huard, K. M. Kane, F. A. Tezcan. Re-engineering protein interfaces yields copper-inducible ferritin cage assembly, Nat. Chem. Biol. 9, 169-176 (2013). [PDF]


J.D. Brodin, X. Ambroggio, C. Tang, K. Parent, T. Baker, F.A. Tezcan. Metal-directed, chemically tunable assembly of one-, two- and three-dimensional crystalline protein arrays, Nat. Chem.. 4, 375-382 (2012). [PDF]

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