Producing novel enzymes that are catalytically active in vitro and biologically functional in vivo is a key goal of synthetic biology. Here we describe Syn-F4, the first de novo protein that meets both criteria. Purified Syn-F4 hydrolyzes the siderophore ferric enterobactin, and expression of Syn-F4 allows an inviable strain of Escherichia coli to grow in iron-limited medium. These findings demonstrate that entirely new sequences can provide life-sustaining enzymatic functions in living organisms.

中文翻译：

---

甲从头酶催化在维持生命的反应大肠杆菌

产生在体外具有催化活性并在体内具有生物学功能的新型酶是合成生物学的关键目标。这里，我们介绍的Syn-F4，第一从头符合两个标准的蛋白质。纯化的Syn-F4水解铁载体肠铁蛋白，Syn-F4的表达使大肠杆菌的无毒菌株在铁受限的培养基中生长。这些发现表明，全新的序列可以在生物体中提供维持生命的酶功能。