Rosetta FunFolDes - a general framework for the computational design of functional proteins

Abstract

The robust computational design of functional proteins has the potential to deeply impact translational research and broaden our understanding of the determinants of protein function, nevertheless, it remains a challenge for state-of-the-art methodologies. Here, we present a computational design approach that couples conformational folding with sequence design to embed functional motifs into heterologous proteins. We performed extensive benchmarks, where the most unexpected finding was that the design of function into proteins may not necessarily reside in the global minimum of the energetic landscape, which could have important implications in the field. We have computationally designed and experimentally characterized a distant structural template and a de novo \"functionless\" fold, two prototypical design challenges, to present important viral epitopes. Overall, we present an accessible strategy to repurpose old protein folds for new functions, which may lead to important improvements on the computational design of functional proteins.