De novo proteins designed to bind retinal and switch conformation in response to light
KevinKaichuang · x · 2026-10-31
A protein design effort shows de novo designed proteins that bind all-trans-retinal and undergo light-triggered conformational changes, modulating protein-protein interactions. Designs across 4HB/5HB/6HB/beta-barrel folds were confirmed by mass spec (+266 Da retinal adduct) and show visible-wavelength absorbance, with UMAP placing them near natural microbial/animal rhodopsin sequence space. A notable AI-driven protein design (AI for Science) advance in light-controllable binders.
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