Superglue from Bacteria: Unbreakable Bridges for Protein Nanotechnology

摘要

Biotechnology is often limited by weak interactions. We suggest that an ideal interaction between proteins would be covalent, specific, require addition of only a peptide tag to the protein of interest, and form under a wide range of conditions. Here we summarize peptide tags able to form spontaneous amide bonds, based on harnessing reactions of adhesion proteins from the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes. These include irreversible peptide-protein interaction of SpyTag with SpyCatcher, as well as irreversible peptide-peptide interaction via SpyLigase. We describe existing applications, including polymerization to enhance cancer cell capture, assembly of living biomaterial, access to diverse protein shapes, and improved enzyme resilience. We also point to future opportunities for resisting biological force and extending the scope of protein nanotechnology.