Intracellular artificial supramolecules based on de novo designed Y15 peptides

Nat Commun. 2021 Jun 7;12(1):3412. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-23794-6.

Abstract

De novo designed self-assembling peptides (SAPs) are promising building blocks of supramolecular biomaterials, which can fulfill a wide range of applications, such as scaffolds for tissue culture, three-dimensional cell culture, and vaccine adjuvants. Nevertheless, the use of SAPs in intracellular spaces has mostly been unexplored. Here, we report a self-assembling peptide, Y15 (YEYKYEYKYEYKYEY), which readily forms β-sheet structures to facilitate bottom-up synthesis of functional protein assemblies in living cells. Superfolder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP) fused to Y15 assembles into fibrils and is observed as fluorescent puncta in mammalian cells. Y15 self-assembly is validated by fluorescence anisotropy and pull-down assays. By using the Y15 platform, we demonstrate intracellular reconstitution of Nck assembly, a Src-homology 2 and 3 domain-containing adaptor protein. The artificial clusters of Nck induce N-WASP (neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein)-mediated actin polymerization, and the functional importance of Nck domain valency and density is evaluated.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actins / metabolism
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Biocompatible Materials / chemistry
  • Biocompatible Materials / metabolism*
  • COS Cells
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Oncogene Proteins / metabolism*
  • Peptide Biosynthesis, Nucleic Acid-Independent
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Peptides / metabolism*
  • Protein Conformation, beta-Strand
  • Protein Domains
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein, Neuronal / metabolism

Substances

  • Actins
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Nck protein
  • Oncogene Proteins
  • Peptides
  • WASL protein, human
  • Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein, Neuronal