Part:BBa_K542010

Enhanced Lumazine Synthase (ELS)

Lumazine synthase (LS) from Aquifex aeolicus forms icosahedral microcompartment (MC) assemblies of 60 or 180 monomeric units that self assemble and are capable of isolating proteins from their local environment. As shown in previously published work (1), the LS protein has been mutated so that the interior of the MC is negatively charged; the UL 2009 iGEM team has submitted the mutated LS gene to the parts registry (BBa_K249002). A negatively charged interior allows for preferential compartmentalization of positively charged molecules, which can easily be engineered through the addition of a poly-arginine tag to a target protein (1). The size of the cavity of the Lumazine Synthase microcompartment was enlarged and the negative charge was increased via directed evolution (2). The compartment formed by this polypeptide has a larger cavity and a larger net negative charge, thus allowing a larger loading capacity into the cavity of the compartment.

The part was synthesized by Bio Basic Inc. into the pET28a plasmid vector (which allows for expression of ELS with an N-terminal His-tag). The Enhanced Lumazine Synthase (ELS) was moved into the pSB1C3 vector by the Lethbridge 2011 team.

Datasheet for Part BBa_K542010 in E. coli strain BL21 (DE3). You may also wish to refer to the "Experience" page.

References

(1) Seebeck, F., Woycechowsky, K., Zhuang, W., Rabe, J., and Hilvert, D. (2006). A simple tagging system for protein encapsulation. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 128: 4516-4517.
(2) Wörsdörfer, B., Woycechowsky, K.J., and Hilvert, D. (2011). Directed Evolution of a Protein Container. Science. 331: 589-592.

Sequence and Features

Assembly Compatibility:

• 10
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[10]
• 12
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[12]
• 21
  INCOMPATIBLE WITH RFC[21]

  Illegal BglII site found at 5
  
• 23
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[23]
• 25
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[25]
• 1000
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[1000]