Brown S, Sarikaya M, Johnson E
Department of Molecular Cell Biology, University of Copenhagen, Oster Farimagsgade 2A, Copenhagen K, DK-1353, Denmark.
J Mol Biol. 2000 Jun 9;299(3):725-35. doi: 10.1006/jmbi.2000.3682.
The regulation of crystal morphology by proteins is often observed in biology. It is a central feature in the formation of hard tissues such as bones, teeth and mollusc shells. We have developed a genetic system in the bacterium Escherichia coli to study the protein-mediated control of crystal growth. We have used the crystallization of gold as a model system and found polypeptides that control the morphology of the resulting gold crystals. Analysis of the crystallization process influenced by these polypeptides indicates they act catalytically by an acid mechanism. Our results suggest that the concepts and methods of microbial genetics are general and can be applied to substances not commonly found in biological systems.
蛋白质对晶体形态的调控在生物学中屡见不鲜。这是骨骼、牙齿和软体动物外壳等硬组织形成过程的核心特征。我们在大肠杆菌中开发了一种遗传系统，用于研究蛋白质介导的晶体生长控制。我们将金的结晶用作模型系统，发现了控制所得金晶体形态的多肽。对受这些多肽影响的结晶过程的分析表明，它们通过酸性机制起催化作用。我们的结果表明，微生物遗传学的概念和方法具有通用性，可应用于生物系统中不常见的物质。
