Protein splicing: A versatile tool for drug discovery

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Molecular Biology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Inteins are protein sequences that self-excise and ligate flanking protein segments.
• Intein technology has evolved into versatile tools for various biological applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the diverse applications of intein technology in biomedical research.
• To explore the potential of inteins in drug discovery, gene therapy, and targeted drug delivery.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing intein-mediated protein splicing for protein purification and modification.
• Developing intein-based strategies for biosensor design and cyclic peptide synthesis.
• Investigating small molecule-triggered protein splicing for in vivo protein function control.

Main Results:

• Intein applications include tagless protein purification, protein labeling, biosensor development, and cyclic peptide library synthesis.
• Small molecule-triggered intein systems allow for tunable post-translational control of protein function.
• Split inteins show promise for in vivo reconstruction of therapeutic proteins and targeted drug delivery.

Conclusions:

• Intein technology is an essential tool for studying disease mechanisms and validating drug candidates.
• Inteins are rapidly advancing as valuable tools for drug discovery and drug delivery applications.
• Future prospects include gene therapy and targeted drug delivery mediated by split inteins.