De novo protein design, a retrospective

Proteins are molecular machines whose function depends on their ability to achieve complex folds with precisely defined structural and dynamic properties. The rational design of proteins from first-principles, or de novo, was once considered to be impossible, but today proteins with a variety of folds and functions have been realized. We review the evolution of the field from its earliest days, placing particular emphasis on how this endeavor has illuminated our understanding of the principles underlying the folding and function of natural proteins, and is informing the design of macromolecules with unprecedented structures and properties. An initial set of milestones in de novo protein design focused on the construction of sequences that folded in water and membranes to adopt folded conformations. The first proteins were designed from first-principles using very simple physical models. As computers became more powerful, the use of the rotamer approximation allowed one to discover amino acid sequences that stabilize the desired fold. As the crystallographic database of protein structures expanded in subsequent years, it became possible to construct proteins by assembling short backbone fragments that frequently recur in Nature. The second set of milestones in de novo design involves the discovery of complex functions. Proteins have been designed to bind a variety of metals, porphyrins, and other cofactors. The design of proteins that catalyze hydrolysis and oxygen-dependent reactions has progressed significantly. However, de novo design of catalysts for energetically demanding reactions, or even proteins that bind with high affinity and specificity to highly functionalized complex polar molecules remains an importnant challenge that is now being achieved. Finally, the protein design contributed significantly to our understanding of membrane protein folding and transport of ions across membranes. The area of membrane protein design, or more generally of biomimetic polymers that function in mixed or non-aqueous environments, is now becoming increasingly possible

Catalytic efficiency of designed catalytic proteins

The de novo design of catalysts that mimic the affinity and specificity of natural enzymes remains one of the Holy Grails of chemistry. Despite decades of concerted effort we are still unable to design catalysts as efficient as enzymes. Here we critically evaluate approaches to (re)design of novel catalytic function in proteins using two test cases: Kemp elimination and ester hydrolysis. We show that the degree of success thus far has been modest when the rate enhancements seen for the designed proteins are compared with the rate enhancements by small molecule catalysts in solvents with properties similar to the active site. Nevertheless, there are reasons for optimism: the design methods are ever improving and the resulting catalyst can be efficiently improved using directed evolution

Biosynthetic incorporation of the azulene moiety in proteins with high efficiency

Biosynthetic incorporation of beta-(1-azulenyl)-l-alanine, an isostere of tryptophan, is reported using a tryptophan auxotroph expression host. The azulene moiety introduced this way in proteins features many attractive spectroscopic properties, particularly suitable for in vivo studies

Copper-Containing Catalytic Amyloids Promote Phosphoester Hydrolysis and Tandem Reactions

Self-assembly of short de novo designed peptides gives rise to catalytic amyloids capable of facilitating multiple chemical transformations. We show that catalytic amyloids can efficiently hydrolyze paraoxon, which is a widely used, highly toxic organophosphate pesticide. Moreover, these robust and inexpensive metal-containing materials can be easily deposited on various surfaces, producing catalytic flow devices. Finally, functional promiscuity of catalytic amyloids promotes tandem hydrolysis/oxidation reactions. High efficiency discovered in a very small library of peptides suggests an enormous potential for further improvement of catalytic properties, both in terms of catalytic efficiency and substrate scope