Protein Nanoparticle Formation Using a Circularly Permuted α‑Helix-Rich Trimeric Protein

We here report the production of highly spherical protein nanoparticles based on the domain-swapping oligomerization of a circularly permuted trimeric protein, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II associated chaperonin. The size distribution of the nanoparticles can be adjusted to between 40 and 100 nm in diameter, and thus, these particles are suitable as drug carriers following purification under basic conditions. Our approach involves no harsh treatments and could provide an alternative approach for protein nanoparticle formation

Overexpression of TIFY genes promotes plant growth in rice through jasmonate signaling

<p>Because environmental stress can reduce crop growth and yield, the identification of genes that enhance agronomic traits is increasingly important. Previous screening of full-length cDNA overexpressing (FOX) rice lines revealed that OsTIFY11b, one of 20 TIFY proteins in rice, affects plant size, grain weight, and grain size. Therefore, we analyzed the effect of <i>OsTIFY11b</i> and nine other TIFY genes on the growth and yield of corresponding TIFY-FOX lines. Regardless of temperature, grain weight and culm length were enhanced in lines overexpressing TIFY11 subfamily genes, except <i>OsTIFY11e.</i> The TIFY-FOX plants exhibited increased floret number and reduced days to flowering, as well as reduced spikelet fertility, and <i>OsTIFY10b</i>, in particular, enhanced grain yield by minimizing decreases in fertility. We suggest that the enhanced growth of TIFY-transgenic rice is related to regulation of the jasmonate signaling pathway, as in <i>Arabidopsis.</i> Moreover, we discuss the potential application of TIFY overexpression for improving crop yield.</p