ANN ARBOR, Mich., Dec. 10 (UPI) -- U.S. and British researchers say they've developed a method that can stabilize specific proteins.
Proteins perform vital functions in our bodies, such as building and maintaining tissues and regulating cellular processes. But the scientists say proteins can become useless when exposed to conditions only a bit removed from optimal.
Now researchers at the University of Michigan and the University of Leeds say they've devised a strategy for stabilizing specific proteins by directly linking their stability to the antibiotic resistance of bacteria.
"The method we developed should provide an easy way to strengthen many proteins and, by doing so, increase their practical utility," said University of Michigan Professor James Bardwell.
"This method also has allowed us to catch a glimpse of why proteins may need to be just barely stable," said graduate student Linda Foit, who, working with Bardwell, initiated the study. "The mutations that we found to enhance the stability of our model protein are mostly in key areas related to the protein's function, suggesting this protein may need to be flexible and therefore marginally stable in order to work. It may be that, over the course of evolution, natural selection acts to optimize, rather than maximize protein stability."
The work, conducted with Professor Sheena Radford at the University of Leeds, appears in the journal Molecular Cell.
