Methods for stabilization and renaturation of proteins using nucleolar protein B23

Abstract

The present invention provides methods for stabilizing proteins, preventing protein aggregation, renaturation of previously-denatured proteins, reactivating a protein that has been inactivated by denaturation, preserving enzyme activities under conditions of elevated temperatures, inducing thermotolerance in bacteria, increasing the temperature optimum for the activity of an enzyme, and preventing formation of inclusion bodies by bacterially-expressed recombinant proteins.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of preserving activity of an enzyme, comprising stabilizing the enzyme by contacting the enzyme with nucleolar protein B23.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the enzyme is a thermolabile enzyme.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the enzyme is selected from the group consisting of liver alcohol dehydrogenase, carboxypeptidase A, citrate synthase, carbonic anhydrase, and rhodanese.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature optimum for the activity of the enzyme is increased.