Protein engineering
Protein engineering (from English engineering here about “construction”, “manipulation”) is a branch of biochemistry and biotechnology that deals with the construction, optimization and production of proteins , including enzymes . There are basically two approaches in protein engineering: rational design of proteins ( protein design ) and directed evolution . At the same time, the vector is usually also adapted in the course of a vector design in which the gene of the desired protein ( transgene ) is located.
Protein engineering takes place e.g. B. in the construction of zinc finger nucleases .
Rational design
In protein design, amino acids or entire sequences are exchanged, removed or inserted through targeted, site-specific mutagenesis of the DNA to change individual properties of the proteins transcribed and translated from them .
Directed evolution
Directed evolution takes place via random mutagenesis or recombination ( DNA shuffling ) and subsequent selection of the mutants or the mutated proteins for the desired properties. This approach requires high throughput screening .
literature
- Kevin M. Ulmer: Protein engineering . In: Science . Vol. 219, No. 4585, 1983, pp. 666-671, PMID 6572017 .
- P. Kaumaya: Protein Engineering . Intech, 2012. ISBN 978-953-510-037-9 (English, online version )
- K. Arndt, K. Muller: Methods in Molecular Biology, Vol. 352: Protein Engineering Protocols . Humana, New Jersey 2007. ISBN 978-1-58829-072-4 .