A Method for the Acute and Rapid Degradation of Endogenous Proteins

Methods for the targeted disruption of protein function have revolutionized science and greatly expedited the systematic characterization of genes. Two main approaches are currently used to disrupt protein function: DNA knockout and RNA interference, which act at the genome and mRNA level, respectively. A method that directly alters endogenous protein levels is currently not available. Here, we present Trim-Away, a technique to degrade endogenous proteins acutely in mammalian cells without prior modification of the genome or mRNA. Trim-Away harnesses the cellular protein degradation machinery to remove unmodified native proteins within minutes of application. This rapidity minimizes the risk that phenotypes…

• WT
  Wellcome Trust

  Awards: 200594/Z/16/Z, FP7/2007-2013
• NI
  National Institutes of Health
• MR
  Medical Research Council

  Awards: MC_U105181010, 337415, MC_U105192711