Unfoldase-mediated protein translocation through an α-hemolysin nanopore

Abstract

Proteins are denatured and threaded through a nanopore by a bacterial unfoldase, allowing certain features of the protein sequence to be detected. Using nanopores to sequence biopolymers was proposed more than a decade ago1. Recent advances in enzyme-based control of DNA translocation2 and in DNA nucleotide resolution using modified biological pores3 have satisfied two technical requirements of a functional nanopore DNA sequencing device. Nanopore sequencing of proteins was also envisioned1. Although proteins have been shown to move through nanopores4,5,6, a technique to unfold proteins for processive translocation has yet to be demonstrated. Here we describe controlled unfolding and translocation of proteins through the α-hemolysin (α-HL) pore using the AAA+ unfoldase ClpX. Sequence-dependent features of individual engineered proteins were detected during translocation. These results demonstrate that molecular motors can reproducibly drive proteins through a model nanopore—a feature required for protein sequence analysis using this single-molecule technology.