Issue 1, 2019

Allosteric inhibition of α-thrombin enzymatic activity with ultrasmall gold nanoparticles

Abstract

The catalytic activity of enzymes can be regulated by interactions with synthetic nanoparticles (NPs) in a number of ways. To date, however, the potential use of NPs as allosteric effectors has not been investigated in detail. Importantly, targeting allosteric (distal) sites on the enzyme surface could afford unique ways to modulate the activity, allowing for either enzyme activation, partial or full inhibition. Using p-mercaptobenzoic acid-coated ultrasmall gold NPs (AuMBA) and human α-thrombin as a model system, here we experimentally tested the hypothesis that enzyme activity could be regulated through ultrasmall NP interactions at allosteric sites. We show that AuMBA interacted selectively and reversibly around two positively charged regions of the thrombin surface (exosites 1 and 2) and away from the active site. NP complexation at the exosites transmitted long-range structural changes over to the active site, altering both substrate binding affinity and catalysis. Significantly, thrombin activity was partially reduced – but not completely inhibited – by interactions with AuMBA. These findings indicate that interactions of proteins with ultrasmall NPs may mimic a typical biomolecular complexation event, and suggest the prospect of using ultrasmall particles as synthetic receptors to allosterically regulate protein function.

Graphical abstract: Allosteric inhibition of α-thrombin enzymatic activity with ultrasmall gold nanoparticles

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
11 jul 2018
Accepted
21 sep 2018
First published
24 sep 2018
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Nanoscale Adv., 2019,1, 378-388

Allosteric inhibition of α-thrombin enzymatic activity with ultrasmall gold nanoparticles

A. L. Lira, R. S. Ferreira, R. J. S. Torquato, M. L. V. Oliva, P. Schuck and A. A. Sousa, Nanoscale Adv., 2019, 1, 378 DOI: 10.1039/C8NA00081F

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