K. Elmorjani et al., SYNTHETIC GENES SPECIFYING PERIODIC POLYMERS MODELED ON THE REPETITIVE DOMAIN OF WHEAT GLIADINS - CONCEPTION AND EXPRESSION, Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 239(1), 1997, pp. 240-246
In order to optimise new polypeptide based biomaterials, we developed
a procedure for producing homoblock polypeptides using recombinant DNA
technology. Synthetic genes encoding periodic polypeptides modelled o
n the consensus sequence of wheat gliadins (a family of wheat storage
proteins) were devised to be expressed in Escherichia coli. The constr
uction strategy followed allows the construction of three genes encodi
ng 8, 16, and 32 copies of the PQQPY module. The optimal expression co
nditions in the enterobacteria were established and a convenient purif
ication procedure was shown to be useful in recovery of sizable amount
s of strictly periodic polypeptides. The identities of the synthesized
polypeptides were assessed using positive cross reactions to antibodi
es raised against a synthetic decapeptide (PQQPYP-QQPA) and amino acid
composition was determined as well. (C) 1997 Academic Press.