To construct a novel isoleucine zipper polypeptide that undergoes a random to coiled coil transition upon lanthanide ion binding, we designed a 37-residue polypeptide (Pep3) with a γ-carboxy glutamic acid (γ-Gla) as metal binding site. Pep3 was designed based on the sequence of the isoleucine zipper polypeptide (Pep1), forming a triple-stranded coiled coil. The coiled-coil structure was destabilized by ionic repulsions among γ-Gla residues at position 21 (hydrophobic 3a position) of one strand. On the other hand, a stable coiled coil formed in the presence of Eu3+ ions. This structural change in the designed polypeptide was selective toward Eu3+ ion from the circular dichroism (CD) measurements. Furthermore, we designed a lanthanide ion-induced heterotrimeric coiled-coil-assembled system by using two kinds of polypeptides, Pep4 and Pep5. CD spectroscopy, sedimentation equilibrium centrifugation, gel filtration, and HPLC analyses indicate that Pep4 and Pep5 could noncovalently assemble in a 1:2 ratio in the presence of Eu3+ ions.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.