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A Rapid Colorimetric Method to Visualize Protein Interactions
Author(s) -
Liu Bing,
Wang Zhihao,
Lan Ling,
Yang Qianfan,
Zhang Peipei,
Shi Lei,
Lang Yunhe,
TabibSalazar Aline,
Wigneshweraraj Sivaramesh,
Zhang Jiye,
Wang Yawen,
Tang Yalin,
Matthews Steve,
Zhang Xiufeng
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201800401
Subject(s) - biomolecule , cyanine , chemistry , protein–protein interaction , molecule , hydrophobic effect , nanotechnology , biophysics , biochemistry , organic chemistry , materials science , fluorescence , biology , physics , quantum mechanics
As key molecules in most biological pathways, proteins physically contact one or more biomolecules in a highly specific manner. Several driving forces (i.e., electrostatic and hydrophobic) facilitate such interactions and a variety of methods have been developed to monitor these processes both in vivo and in vitro. In this work, a new method is reported for the detection of protein interactions by visualizing a color change of a cyanine compound, a supramolecule complex of 3,3‐di‐(3‐sulfopropyl)‐4,5,4′,5′‐dibenzo‐9‐methyl‐thiacarbocyanine triethylammonium salt (MTC). Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies suggest that the hydrophobic nature of the protein surfaces drives MTC into different types of aggregates with distinct colors. When proteins interact with other biomolecules, the hydrophobic surface of the complex differs, resulting in a shift in the form of MTC aggregation, which results in a color change. As a result, this in vitro method has the potential to become a rapid tool for the confirmation of protein–biomolecule interactions, without the requirements for sophisticated instrumentation or approaches.