Detection of protein-protein interactions by a combination of a novel cytoplasmic membrane targeting system of recombinant proteins and fluorescence resonance energy transfer

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2006 Apr;70(4):451-7. doi: 10.1007/s00253-005-0091-x. Epub 2005 Aug 4.

Abstract

A novel protein molecular targeting system was created using a cytoplasmic face of a plasma membrane-targeting system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The technique involves a molecular display for the creation of a novel reaction site and interaction sites in the field of biotechnology. In a model system, a fluorescent protein was targeted as a reporter to the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane. The C-terminal transmembrane domain (CTM) of Ras2p and Snc2p was examined as the portions with anchoring ability to the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane. We found that the CTM of Snc2p targeted the enhanced cyan fluorescent protein (ECFP)-protein A fusion protein on the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane more strongly than that of Ras2p. To develop it for use as a detection system for protein-protein interactions, the Fc fragment of IgG (Fc) was genetically fused with the enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP) and expressed in the cytoplasm of the ECFP-protein A-anchored cell. A microscopic analysis showed that fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between ECFP-protein A and EYFP-Fc occurred, and the change in fluorescence was observed on the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane. The detection of protein-protein interactions at the cytoplasmic face of a plasma membrane using FRET combined with a cytoplasmic face-targeting system for proteins provides a novel method for examining the molecular interactions of cytoplasmic proteins, in addition to conventional methods, such as the two-hybrid method in the nuclei.

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism*
  • Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer
  • Fluorometry
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / chemistry
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Luminescent Proteins / chemistry
  • Luminescent Proteins / genetics
  • Luminescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Cyan Fluorescent Protein
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • yellow fluorescent protein, Bacteria
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins