Characterization of a Protein Degradation Platform

A vast majority of current therapies that target a specific protein rely on the inhibition of the target protein’s function through enzyme inhibition or through ligand blocking. Recently, however, several protein chimeras have been developed that directly degrade the target protein instead of blocking them; this change, in turn, leads to sustained and more precise treatment. My goal is to further characterize one such new system based on a spytag-aquaporin protein fusion paired with a spycatcher-antibody fusion. Specifically, my goal is to outline what structural factors on the targeted membrane protein predict how effective the system is at degradation.