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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Optimization of Synthetic Proteins: Identification of Interpositional Dependencies Indicating Structurally and/or Functionally Linked Residues
Published on: July 14, 2015
A remote prolyl isomerization controls domain assembly via a hydrogen bonding network
Ulrich Weininger1, Roman P Jakob, Barbara Eckert
1Institut für Physik, Biophysik, and Mitteldeutsches Zentrum für Struktur und Dynamik der Proteine (MZP), Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, D-06120 Halle(Saale), Germany.
Proline isomerization acts as a molecular switch, controlling protein domain assembly and phage activation. This process is mediated by a distant hydrogen bond network, revealing a mechanism for propagating structural changes.
Area of Science:
- Structural biology
- Biochemistry
- Molecular biology
Background:
- Proline cis/trans isomerization is crucial for protein folding kinetics, acting as molecular switches and timers.
- In filamentous phage gene-3-protein, Pro-213 isomerization regulates domain assembly and phage infectivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the structural and energetic underpinnings of proline-limited domain assembly at the residue level.
- To understand how proline isomerization influences distant protein structures and stability.
Main Methods:
- Real-time 2D Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
- Analysis of individual residue contributions to protein structure and dynamics.
Main Results:
- Proline-213 trans --> cis isomerization stabilizes a remote inter-domain hydrogen bond network by up to 3,000-fold.
- This hydrogen bond network is essential for mediating domain assembly.
- Rigid backbone segments propagate the effect of proline switching to the hydrogen bond network, altering protein structure and stability.
Conclusions:
- Proline isomerization can induce significant structural and stability changes at distant sites within a protein.
- The study reveals a specific and directional mechanism for propagating proline switching effects.
- This provides insights into the molecular control of protein assembly and function.
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