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Synthesis of an Intein-mediated Artificial Protein Hydrogel
Published on: January 27, 2014
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Traceless protein semisynthesis in cells using the promiscuous ultra-fast split intein NrdJ-1
Xuanjia Ye1, Joshua Sokol1, Christian Kofoed1
1Department of Chemistry, Princeton University Princeton NJ USA muir@princeton.edu.
Chemical Science
|April 30, 2026
Summary
Researchers characterized the NrdJ-1 split intein for protein manipulation. This efficient system enables traceless protein editing and chemical modification in vitro and in living cells.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Chemical Biology
Background:
- Chemistry-driven protein manipulation is crucial for biomedical research.
- Intein-mediated protein splicing is a powerful platform for in vitro and in vivo applications.
- Split inteins offer versatile tools for protein engineering.
Purpose of the Study:
- To biochemically characterize the NrdJ-1 split intein.
- To evaluate its efficiency and kinetics for protein editing.
- To demonstrate its utility for generating chemically modified proteins in vitro and in vivo.
Main Methods:
- Detailed biochemical characterization of the NrdJ-1 split intein.
- Assessment of splicing kinetics and sequence context independence.
- Application in generating semisynthetic chromatin with post-translational modifications.
Main Results:
- NrdJ-1 exhibits rapid splicing kinetics largely independent of sequence context.
- The split intein demonstrates high efficiency and promiscuity.
- Successful traceless generation of semisynthetic chromatin with diverse modifications was achieved.
Conclusions:
- NrdJ-1 is a highly efficient and versatile split intein for protein editing.
- Its properties make it well-suited for in vitro and intracellular biochemical applications.
- NrdJ-1 represents a superior choice for traceless protein modification and engineering.
