intein

The intein, which is a section of a protein, blocks the part of the enzyme that allows the enzyme to do its work, called the active site.

Forbes.com: News Jonathan Fahey 2010

Kinetic analysis of these molecules indicates that the high fidelity of this protein-splicing reaction results from the penultimate step in the process (intein-succinimide formation) being rate-limiting.

Naturejobs - All Jobs Silvia Frutos 2010

This doesn't actually disrupt the host's protein, though-amazingly, the intein protein sequence can cut itself out of the surrounding host protein and link its two ends together as if the intein were never there.

Ars Technica John Timmer 2010

The excised intein protein then helps ensure that the DNA sequence that made it gets inherited and spreads.

Ars Technica John Timmer 2010

After the plant is harvested, though, the intein can be removed simply by adding heat, exposing the active site and allowing the conversion to biofuels to start.

Forbes.com: News Jonathan Fahey 2010

Mycobacterium xenopi DNA gyrase A (Mxe GyrA) intein using protein semisynthesis.

Naturejobs - All Jobs Silvia Frutos 2010

Figure 2: Semisynthesis of Mxe GyrA intein constructs 1-12.

Naturejobs - All Jobs Silvia Frutos 2010

The new method for developing ubiquitylated proteins, which Zhuang and his team developed, combines the power of intein chemistry and disulfide crosslinking to bond ubiquitin to another essential protein called proliferating cell nuclear antigen.

Newswise: Latest News 2010

Protein splicing is a post-translational modification in which an intein domain excises itself out of a host protein.

Naturejobs - All Jobs Silvia Frutos 2010

So the company modifies the enzyme slightly, by inserting something called an intein into the enzyme.

Forbes.com: News Jonathan Fahey 2010