Exploring and Expanding the Protein Universe with Non-Canonical Amino Acids

Download or read book Exploring and Expanding the Protein Universe with Non-Canonical Amino Acids written by Gustavo Fuertes and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2023-11-01 with total page 123 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The site-specific incorporation of unnatural or non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) into proteins is a universally important tool for systems bioengineering at the interface of chemistry, biology, and biotechnology. The synergistic use of ncAA and related technologies (e.g. Xeno nucleic acids) should enable: i) New opportunities to manipulate, design and elucidate protein structure, dynamics, and function. ii) A deeper understanding of natural and evolved translational systems and their importance for artificial biology. iii) The synthesis of novel biopolymers, creating a solid basis for synthetic cells, which is also an important technology in the production of new classes of medically relevant protein-based scaffolds. Research on reprogrammed protein translation has now reached an experimental and intellectual maturity: more than 200 ncAA (i.e. more than ten times larger variety than standard amino acids) have been introduced into proteins using different routes: genetic code expansion (GCE), selective pressure incorporation (SPI), chemical mutagenesis, protein semi-synthesis, and peptide synthesis.