title: Fusion proteins from artificial and natural structural modules.
abstract: The purpose of preparing fusion proteins from designed and natural sequences is mainly twofold; it aims at the stabilization of structure and at the modification of biological activity. Fusion with beta-galactosidase, for example, can increase the intracellular stability and DDT-degrading activity of an artificial DDT-binding peptide, and fusions with a leucine zipper produce mono- and bifunctional single-chain variable domain antibody fragments or homodimeric and heterodimeric DNA-binding proteins like an artificial homodimeric HIV-1 enhancer-binding protein with increased binding specificity and repressor activity. Of importance are also short leader sequences that mediate the translocation of proteins across the cytoplasmic and the nuclear membrane. An interesting by-product of the leucine zipper-mediated dimerization of an HIV-1 enhancer-binding protein was the synthesis and the structural as well as functional characterization of a retro-leucine zipper.
authors.affiliation: Biochemisches Institut der Universität Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Switzerland.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caderas
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Deillon
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Klauser
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gutte
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D016350:Leucine Zippers / Q000235:genetics; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015394:Molecular Structure; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C063232:HIVEP1 protein, human; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors