We probe the molecular dynamics and states of an avidin protein as it is captured and trapped in a voltage-biased cytolysin A nanopore using time-resolved single-molecule electrical conductance signals. The data for very large numbers of single-molecule events are analyzed and presented by a new method that provides clear visual insight into the molecular scale processes. Avidin in cytolysin A has surprisingly rich conductance spectra that reveal transient and more permanently trapped protein configurations in the pore and how they evolve into one another. We identify a long-lasting, stable, and low-noise configuration of avidin in the nanopore into which avidin can be reliably trapped and released. This may prove useful for single-molecule studies of other proteins that can be biotinylated and then transported by avidin to the pore via their coupling to avidin with biotin-avidin linking. We demonstrate the sensitivity of this system with detection of biotin attached to avidin captured by the pore.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2018.07.024 | DOI Listing |
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials (Ministry of Education), Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
On the one hand, nature utilizes hierarchical assemblies to create complex biological binding pockets, enabling ultrastrong recognition toward substrates in aqueous solutions. On the other hand, chemists have been fervently pursuing high-affinity recognition by constructing covalently well-preorganized stereoelectronic cavities. The potential of noncovalent assembly, however, for enhancing molecular recognition has long been underestimated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMethods Mol Biol
January 2025
Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Negative staining electron microscopy is one of the easiest ways to determine the shape and dimensions of multimeric protein complexes over 100 kDa molecular weight. This method requires small volumes (< 10 μL) of dilute protein (0.01-0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Sens
January 2025
Materials Interfaces Center, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China.
Over recent years, the LUMinescent AntiBody Sensor (LUMABS) system, utilizing bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET), has emerged as a highly effective method for antibody detection. This system incorporates NanoLuc (Nluc) as the donor and fluorescent protein (FP) as the acceptor. However, the limited Stokes shift of FP poses a challenge, as it leads to significant spectral cross-talk between the excitation and emission spectra.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: CD133 is regarded as a marker and target for cancer stem cells (CSCs) in various types of tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The expressions of CD133 and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) in CSCs exhibit a positive feedback regulatory effect. This effect promotes CSC proliferation and immune escape, ultimately leading to tumor progression and poor prognosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Med Chem
February 2025
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China. Electronic address:
Corosolic acid (CA), a natural triterpenoid, exhibits various biological activities and is often called as plant-derived insulin due to its significant hypoglycemic effects, making it especially beneficial for individuals with diabetes or high blood glucose levels. However, CA has notable in vitro toxicity, low water solubility, and poor pharmacokinetic properties. To address these limitations, a series of CA derivatives were synthesized, resulting in the identification of derivative H26, which demonstrates a significantly enhanced hypoglycemic effect, reduced toxicity, and improved pharmacokinetic characteristics compared to CA.
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