Orthogonal recognition in dimeric coiled coils via buried polar-group modulation
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Optimization of Synthetic Proteins: Identification of Interpositional Dependencies Indicating Structurally and/or Functionally Linked Residues
Published on: July 14, 2015
1Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA.
Abstract:
We describe the design and exploration of new buried polar groups to control coiled-coil dimerization. Employing our recently described method for on-resin guanidinylation, we have prepared coiled-coil peptides with a single core guanidine, spaced from the backbone by 1-3 methylene groups. Heterodimeric mixtures of these sequences with guanidine, amide, and carboxylic acid binding partners form a large number of reasonably stable coiled coils (T(m) > or = 60 degrees C). A detailed stability trend examination reveals that asparagine/acid pairs are sharply sensitive to acid residue chain length (Asn/Asp much worse than Asn/Glu), while guanidine/acid pairs are largely insensitive. This has been exploited to create orthogonal recognition pairs which establish the capacity to form two distinct heterodimeric coiled coils by simple mixing of four different peptides. One dimer has buried core asparagines, while the other pairs aspartic acid with any of three guanidinylated side chains. Specificity of this behavior is underscored by failure of glutamic acid substituted sequences to perform accordingly. The successful alternate pairs are further characterized by various biophysical methods (circular dichroism, ultracentrifugation, thermal and chemical denaturation, affinity tags).
More Related Videos
14:55Atomic Scale Structural Studies of Macromolecular Assemblies by Solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Published on: September 17, 2017
08:49Multimodal Nonlinear Hyperspectral Chemical Imaging Using Line-Scanning Vibrational Sum-Frequency Generation Microscopy
Published on: December 1, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Molecular Shape and Polarity
¹H NMR of Conformationally Flexible Molecules: Variable-Temperature NMR
¹H NMR of Conformationally Flexible Molecules: Temporal Resolution
Newman Projections
The organic molecules rotate across the single bonds leading to numerous temporary three-dimensional structures of varying energy known as conformers.
Cooperative Allosteric Transitions
Cooperative Allosteric Transitions