University of Washington Researchers Achieve Single-Molecule Protein Reading Using Nanopore Sequencing

Sep 11, 2024, 03:38 PM

Researchers at the University of Washington, led by Jeff Nivala, have unveiled a groundbreaking proof-of-concept method for single-molecule protein reading using nanopore sequencing. Published in Nature, the study demonstrates the use of ClpX unfoldase to ratchet proteins through a CsgG nanopore, achieving single-amino-acid sensitivity. This method allows for the reading of long protein strands, hundreds of amino acids in length, by threading the protein through the pore using electrophoresis and then pulling it out two residues at a time. The approach also includes rereading, barcodes, and post-translational modification detection, although it requires chemical conjugation of functional amino acids to the N and C terminus proteins. This advancement marks a significant step forward in protein analysis. The research highlights the capability of nanopore sequencing to read polypeptide strands and includes a multi-pass technique.