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Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Detecting and Characterizing Protein Self-Assembly In Vivo by Flow Cytometry
Published on: July 17, 2019
Autocatalytic association of proteins by covalent bond formation: a Bio Molecular Welding toolbox derived from a
J Bonnet1, J Cartannaz1, G Tourcier2
1Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, 38044 Grenoble, France.
Abstract:
Unusual intramolecular cross-links present in adhesins from Gram-positive bacteria have been used to develop a generic process amenable to biotechnology applications. Based on the crystal structure of RrgA, the Streptococcus pneumoniae pilus adhesin, we provide evidence that two engineered protein fragments retain their ability to associate covalently with high specificity, in vivo and in vitro, once isolated from the parent protein. We determined the optimal conditions for the assembly of the complex and we solved its crystal structure at 2 Å. Furthermore, we demonstrate biotechnological applications related to antibody production, nanoassembly and cell-surface labeling based on this process we named Bio Molecular Welding.
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