Six helix surface positions of protein G (Gβ1)
were redesigned using a computational protein design algorithm,
resulting in the five fold mutant Gβ1m2. Gβ1m2
is well folded with a circular dichroism spectrum nearly
identical to that of Gβ1, and a melting temperature
of 91 °C, ∼6 °C higher than that of Gβ1.
The crystal structure of Gβ1m2 was solved to 2.0 Å
resolution by molecular replacement. The absence of hydrogen
bond or salt bridge interactions between the designed residues
in Gβ1m2 suggests that the increased stability of Gβ1m2
is due to increased helix propensity and more favorable
helix dipole interactions.