Small-Molecule Control of Protein Degradation Using Split Adaptors

This article describes the creation of a small molecule inducer of dimerization system for the degradation of a target protein. Proteins targeted for degradation are brought to the ClpXP protease by an split adapter protein that depends on the small molecule rapamycin for activity. To prove their system works, the authors induced expression of the FtsA protein with IPTG and maintained low levels of FtsA with the addition of rapamycin. A filamentous phenotype was observed when rapamycin was added, a consistent with the absence of FtsA.