title: The mechanism of intein-mediated protein splicing: variations on a theme.
abstract: Intein-mediated protein splicing is facilitated by four separate but coordinated nucleophilic displacement reactions that result in the excision of the intein and the ligation of the flanking polypeptides, called the exteins. These reactions are catalyzed by the intein plus the first downstream extein amino acid without the assistance of cofactors or auxiliary enzymes. Non-canonical inteins missing conserved nucleophilic residues at the N- or C-terminus likely splice using variations of the standard mechanism.
authors.affiliation: College of the Holy Cross, Department of Chemistry, 1 College Street, Worcester MA 01610, USA.
authors.forename: Kenneth V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: Francine B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Perler
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001216:Asparagine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D005973:Glutamine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D047668:Inteins; D008956:Models, Chemical; D019154:Protein Splicing
chemical_list: D005973:Glutamine; D001216:Asparagine; D000409:Alanine