| 摘要 |
Protein lattice ( 1 ) having a regular structure with a repeating unit repeating in three dimensions may have many uses, for example to support an array of macromolecular entities for x-ray crystallography. The repeating unit comprises protein protomers ( 2 ) which each comprise at least two monomers ( 5, 6 ) fused together. The monomers ( 5, 6 ) are each monomers of a respective oligomer assembly ( 3, 4 ) into which the monomers are assembled for assembly of the protomers into the lattice. The first oligomer assembly ( 3 ) has a set of rotational symmetry axes extending in three dimensions. In said protomers ( 2 ), further monomers ( 6 ) fused to said first monomers ( 5 ) are monomers of respective further oligomer assemblies ( 4 ) which have a rotational symmetry axis of the same order as a respective one of said set of rotational symmetry axes of said first oligomer assembly ( 3 ). Thus, the repeating unit includes protomers ( 2 ) with the first monomers ( 5 ) of the protomers ( 2 ) being assembled into said first oligomer assembly ( 3 ) and, in respect of respective ones of said set of rotational symmetry axes, with further monomers ( 6 ) of the protomers ( 2 ) fused to respective first monomers ( 3 ) being assembled into respective further oligomer assemblies ( 4 ). As a result of the symmetry of the oligomer assemblies ( 3, 4 ) said rotational symmetry axis of said respective further oligomer assemblies ( 4 ) is aligned with the respective rotational symmetry axis of said first oligomer assembly ( 3 ). Thus, an N-fold fusion between the oligomer assemblies ( 3, 4 ) is produced and the rotational symmetry axes of the oligomer assemblies ( 3, 4 ) define the symmetry of the lattice.
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