Harnessing the architecture of natural biological modules for templated-assembly
Abstract
Precisely controlling the assembly of materials is important for both designing and producing smart materials with novel and/or useful properties. Unfortunately, programmed assembly is a difficult task. For instance, nucleic acids have been used extensively to form precise two-dimensional and (in some cases) three-dimensional structures, but are not robust enough for most applications. Other polymers that have extensive interactions (i.e. plastics) have interactions that are not user-imposed and are there is not sufficient information content to precisely program in directed manner. To overcome these limitations, I will use modules derived from nature to build user-defined structures, specifically polyketide synthases. Polyketide synthases precisely assemble and create complex polyketides, natural products with rich and potent bioactivities. The modular polyketide synthases (PKSs) that construct complex polyketides are the largest enzymes known to man. They contain tens to hundreds of domains and very little is known about their higher-order architecture. While crystal structures of various domains of the major proteins involved in polyketide synthases are available, it is not known how they assemble into regularly patterned architectures required for the hand-off of one growing carbon chain to the next during polyketide synthesis. I propose to study the high-order structures of polyketide synthases using cryo-electron microscopy to uncover the principles of assembly. A complete understanding of the roles governing assembly of these complexes can be repurposed to create modular assemblies with precise two- or three-dimensional structures for practical applications, including creating novel natural products, light-harvesting complexes, and circuits.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 14, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1910021
Entities
People
- David W Taylor
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- United States Army
- University of Texas at Austin