Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25323391›Full record

ArticleJournal of computer-aided molecular design2015

Computational study of elements of stability of a four-helix bundle protein biosurfactant.

Andrea Schaller, Natalie K Connors, Mirjana Dimitrijev Dwyer, Stefan A Oelmeier, Jürgen Hubbuch, Anton P J Middelberg

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of computer-aided molecular design, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 44% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Andrea SchallerCentre for Biomolecular Engineering, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
Natalie K Connors
Mirjana Dimitrijev Dwyer
Stefan A Oelmeier
Jürgen Hubbuch
Anton P J Middelberg
University of Queensland · AUKarlsruhe Institute of Technology · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Biosurfactants are surface-active molecules produced principally by microorganisms. They are a sustainable alternative to chemically-synthesized surfactants, having the advantages of being non-toxic, highly functional, eco-friendly and biodegradable. However they are currently only used in a few industrial products due to costs associated with production and purification, which exceed those for commodity chemical surfactants. DAMP4, a member of a four-helix bundle biosurfactant protein family, can be produced in soluble form and at high yield in Escherichia coli, and can be recovered using a facile thermal phase-separation approach. As such, it encompasses an interesting synergy of biomolecular and chemical engineering with prospects for low-cost production even for industrial sectors. DAMP4 is highly functional, and due to its extraordinary thermal stability it can be purified in a simple two-step process, in which the combination of high temperature and salt leads to denaturation of all contaminants, whereas DAMP4 stays stable in solution and can be recovered by filtration. This study aimed to characterize and understand the fundamental drivers of DAMP4 stability to guide further process and surfactant design studies. The complementary use of experiments and molecular dynamics simulation revealed a broad pH and temperature tolerance for DAMP4, with a melting point of 122.4 °C, suggesting the hydrophobic core as the major contributor to thermal stability. Simulation of systematically created in silico variants of DAMP4 showed an influence of number and location of hydrophilic mutations in the hydrophobic core on stability, demonstrating a tolerance of up to three mutations before a strong loss in stability occurred. The results suggest a consideration of a balance of stability, functionality and kinetics for new designs according to their application, aiming for maximal functionality but at adequate stability to allow for cost-efficient production using thermal phase separation approaches.

Indexed as

Molecular Dynamics SimulationAmino Acid SequenceCalorimetry, Differential ScanningCircular DichroismHydrophobic and Hydrophilic InteractionsMolecular Sequence DataProtein ConformationProtein DenaturationProtein EngineeringProtein StabilityRecombinant ProteinsStructural Homology, ProteinSurface-Active AgentsRecombinant ProteinsSurface-Active Agents

Identifiers

PMID25323391
OpenAlexW2066860052

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.