Issue 32, 2024

Redox-active chemical chaperones exhibiting promiscuous binding promote oxidative protein folding under condensed sub-millimolar conditions

Abstract

Proteins form native structures through folding processes, many of which proceed through intramolecular hydrophobic effect, hydrogen bond and disulfide-bond formation. In vivo, protein aggregation is prevented even in the highly condensed milieu of a cell through folding mediated by molecular chaperones and oxidative enzymes. Chemical approaches to date have not replicated such exquisite mediation. Oxidoreductases efficiently promote folding by the cooperative effects of oxidative reactivity for disulfide-bond formation in the client unfolded protein and chaperone activity to mitigate aggregation. Conventional synthetic folding promotors mimic the redox-reactivity of thiol/disulfide units but do not address client-recognition units for inhibiting aggregation. Herein, we report thiol/disulfide compounds containing client-recognition units, which act as synthetic oxidoreductase-mimics. For example, compound βCDWSH/SS bears a thiol/disulfide unit at the wide rim of β-cyclodextrin as a client recognition unit. βCDWSH/SS shows promiscuous binding to client proteins, mitigates protein aggregation, and accelerates disulfide-bond formation. In contrast, positioning a thiol/disulfide unit at the narrow rim of β-cyclodextrin promotes folding less effectively through preferential interactions at specific residues, resulting in aggregation. The combination of promiscuous client-binding and redox reactivity is effective for the design of synthetic folding promoters. βCDWSH/SS accelerates oxidative protein folding at highly condensed sub-millimolar protein concentrations.

Graphical abstract: Redox-active chemical chaperones exhibiting promiscuous binding promote oxidative protein folding under condensed sub-millimolar conditions

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
31 Mar 2024
Accepted
09 Jul 2024
First published
29 Jul 2024
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Chem. Sci., 2024,15, 12676-12685

Redox-active chemical chaperones exhibiting promiscuous binding promote oxidative protein folding under condensed sub-millimolar conditions

K. Suzuki, R. Nojiri, M. Matsusaki, T. Mabuchi, S. Kanemura, K. Ishii, H. Kumeta, M. Okumura, T. Saio and T. Muraoka, Chem. Sci., 2024, 15, 12676 DOI: 10.1039/D4SC02123A

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