Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 8, 2026
29:13
Microbial Communities in Nature and Laboratory - Interview
Published on: May 28, 2007
6.8K
Inteins in Microbial Genomes: Distribution, Mechanism, and Function
Maurice W Southworth1, Francine B Perler1
1New England Biolabs, 32 Tozer Road, Beverly, MA 01915, UK.
Thescientificworldjournal
|July 6, 2018
Summary
Inteins are protein elements that splice themselves. Their unique chemistry is being explored for novel drug targets in pathogens and for advanced protein engineering applications.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Inteins are naturally occurring, self-splicing protein segments.
- Over 125 inteins are documented in the InBase database.
- Inteins possess unique catalytic mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight inteins as potential drug targets in pathogenic microbes.
- To discuss the application of intein chemistry in protein engineering.
- To underscore the significance of understanding intein splicing.
Main Methods:
- Cataloging and analyzing intein sequences from databases like InBase.
- Investigating the chemical mechanisms underlying intein splicing.
- Exploring intein manipulation for biotechnological purposes.
Main Results:
- Inteins are versatile protein elements with diverse applications.
- Pathogenic microbes harbor inteins that represent underexplored therapeutic targets.
- Intein splicing chemistry is well-understood and exploitable.
Conclusions:
- Inteins offer significant opportunities for both drug discovery and protein engineering.
- Further research into intein biology and chemistry is warranted.
- The manipulation of inteins has revolutionized protein engineering techniques.
Related Concept Videos
01:58Mechanical Protein Functions
5.7K
Proteins perform many mechanical functions in a cell. These proteins can be classified into two general categories- proteins that generate mechanical forces and proteins that are subjected to mechanical forces. Proteins providing mechanical support to the structure of the cell, such as keratin, are subjected to mechanical force, whereas proteins involved in cell movement and transport of molecules across cell membranes, such as an ion pump, are examples of generating mechanical force.
5.7K
01:22Cholinesterases: Distribution and Function
1.1K
Cholinesterases are a group of serine hydrolase enzymes that play a crucial role in the breakdown of choline esters. The two primary types of cholinesterases are acetylcholinesterases (AChEs) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChEs), which differ in their distribution, function, and substrate specificity. AChEs, also known as true cholinesterases, specifically hydrolyze acetylcholine, while BuChEs, often referred to as pseudocholinesterases, can hydrolyze various choline esters, including...
1.1K
01:58Mechanical Protein Function
2.5K
2.5K
02:02Genomics
40.8K
Genomics is the science of genomes: it is the study of all the genetic material of an organism. In humans, the genome consists of information carried in 23 pairs of chromosomes in the nucleus, as well as mitochondrial DNA. In genomics, both coding and non-coding DNA is sequenced and analyzed. Genomics allows a better understanding of all living things, their evolution, and their diversity. It has a myriad of uses: for example, to build phylogenetic trees, to improve productivity and...
40.8K
03:21Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes
9.2K
While every living organism has a genome of some kind (be it RNA, or DNA), there is considerable variation in the sizes of these blueprints. One major factor that impacts genome size is whether the organism is prokaryotic or eukaryotic. In prokaryotes, the genome contains little to no non-coding sequence, such that genes are tightly clustered in groups or operons sequentially along the chromosome. Conversely, the genes in eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of non-coding sequence.
9.2K
02:30Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
37.2K
Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
37.2K