Münster chemists identify “mini-proteins“ which interact with carbohydrates

As a rule, a key fits just one particular lock. It is similar with carbohydrates and proteins. On the surface of living cells there are many different carbohydrates which act as recognition sites for proteins. Human blood groups, for example, are determined by various carbohydrates on the surface of red blood cells. On the basis of the interaction between these recognition sites and antibody proteins of the immune system, the body's defence system distinguishes between its own blood group and foreign ones.

Using a special method, chemists in Münster have now for the first time identified very small artificial proteins which "dock on" in a highly selective manner to certain carbohydrate molecules. Such "mini-proteins" could carry out targeted intervention in the natural recognition processes in the organism and so they are promising lead compounds for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, say the scientists. The research work was published by the leading chemistry journal "Angewandte Chemie" and ranked as a "very important paper".

Cells in the immune system recognize the carbohydrates on the surface of viruses and bacteria. On the other hand, the interactions between carbohydrates and proteins also play a role when viruses penetrate host cells. "We hope that one day we will be able to use ‘mini-proteins' to intervene systematically in biological processes and thus treat illnesses," says Prof. Bart Jan Ravoo from the Institute of Organic Chemistry at Münster University. "It would allow us to prevent viruses from penetrating into the body's cells by blocking the recognition mechanism with artificial proteins."

The Münster scientists have developed a special method with which they can identify proteins which bind carbohydrates. In this so-called dynamic combinatorial approach a mixture of "mini-proteins" is produced and put into a solution together with various carbohydrates. Some proteins form complexes with the target carbohydrates. These "couples" are verified by the chemists by means of chemical and spectroscopic analyses.In addition to Prof. Bart Jan Ravoo, other scientists involved in the study are Melanie Rauschenberg from the Organic Chemistry Institute as well as Dr. Susanne Bomke and Prof. Uwe Karst from the Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry at Münster University. The research project is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) as part of Collaborative Research Centre 858, "Synergetic effects in chemistry - from additivity to cooperativity."

Links:    * References (Angewandte Chemie)
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.201002847/abstract

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