• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1995.10a
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• pp.41-48
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• 1995

To increase the folding efficiency of proinsulin, we have designed a series of mini-proinsulins having the central C-peptide region replaced with sequences forming reverse turns. These proteins were produced as fusion proteins in E. coli in the form of inclusion bodies. After isolation process of the sulfonated mini-proinsulins, the subsequent refolding experiments indicate that the mini-proinsulins, with non-native penta-peptide sequences inserted between two of the enzyme processing sites, show substantially increased folding yields compared with the proinsulin. The correct disulfide connections were verified by fingerprint analysis using Glu-C endoproteinase. These novel mini-proinsulins could be used for the study of folding mechanism of proinsulin.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.1369-1390
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• 2002

• BMB Reports
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.120-125
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• 2000

M2PI is an active single chain mini-proinsulin with a 9-residue linker containing the turn-forming sequence 'YPGDV' between the B- and A-chains, but which retains about 50% of native insulin receptor binding activity. The refolding efficiency of M2PI is higher than proinsulin by 20-40% at alkaline pH, and native insulin is generated by the enzymatic conversion of M2PI. The solution structure of M2PI was determined by NMR spectroscopy. The global structure of M2PI is similar to that of native insulin, but the flexible linker between the B- and A-chains perturbed the N-terminal A-chain and C-terminal B-chain. The helix in the N-terminal A-chain is partly perturbed and the ${\beta}$-turn in the B-chain is disrupted in M2PI. However, the linker between the two chains was completely disordered indicating that the designed turn was not formed under the experimental conditions (20% acetic acid). Considering the fact that an insulin analogue, directly cross-linked between the C-terminus of the B-chain and the N-terminus of the A-chain, has negligible binding activity, a flexible linker between the two chains is sufficient to keep binding activity of M2PI, but the perturbed secondary structures are detrimental to receptor binding.