Themed collection Materials, Physical and Biological Chemistry of Protein Cages

22 items
Perspective

Tuning properties of biocatalysis using protein cage architectures

The properties of biocatalysis can be tuned by encapsulation of enzymes inside protein cages, which alters enzyme behaviors, substrate access and product release, and efficiency of cascade reactions.

Graphical abstract: Tuning properties of biocatalysis using protein cage architectures
Review Article

Virus-like particles nanoreactors: from catalysis towards bio-applications

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are self-assembled supramolecular structures in nature for compartmentalization. We summarize the current progress of protein cage nanoreactors spanning multilength scales, and highlight the emerging field of VLP based nanoreactors for biomedical applications.

Graphical abstract: Virus-like particles nanoreactors: from catalysis towards bio-applications
Review Article

Structural polymorphism in protein cages and virus-like particles

There are many native and engineered capsid-forming proteins which can self-assemble into different non-canonical structures. In this review, we categorise examples of structural polymorphism by their method of formation.

Graphical abstract: Structural polymorphism in protein cages and virus-like particles
Review Article

Innate and engineered attributes of bacterial microcompartments for applications in bio-materials science

All protein prokaryotic organelle in bio-material science applications.

Graphical abstract: Innate and engineered attributes of bacterial microcompartments for applications in bio-materials science
Review Article

Encapsulin cargo loading: progress and potential

Encapsulins are protein compartments that encapsulate cargo proteins via specific peptide targeting motifs. Fusion of these motifs to non-native cargo proteins allows the facile engineering of rationally designed nano-compartmentalization systems.

Graphical abstract: Encapsulin cargo loading: progress and potential
Review Article

Ferritin nanocages: a versatile platform for nanozyme design

Overview of ferritin nanocage and ferritin nanozyme. The ferritin nanocages hold different modified interfaces of protein structure (upper). Ferritin nanozymes show various enzyme-like activities for different biomedical applications (bottom).

Graphical abstract: Ferritin nanocages: a versatile platform for nanozyme design
From the themed collection: Nanozymes
Open Access Communication

An artificial protein cage made from a 12-membered ring

Changing the symmetry of the constituent ring-shaped building block of an artificial cage.

Graphical abstract: An artificial protein cage made from a 12-membered ring
Open Access Communication

Complementary charge-driven encapsulation of functional protein by engineered protein cages in cellulo

This study provides proof of charge complementarity-based inclusion complex formation between an engineered protein nanocage and an otherwise degradation-prone cargo protein in live bacterial cells.

Graphical abstract: Complementary charge-driven encapsulation of functional protein by engineered protein cages in cellulo
Open Access Communication

Assembly of chemically modified protein nanocages into 3D materials for the adsorption of uremic toxins

Protein-based adsorber materials with defined morphology for the removal of uremic toxins.

Graphical abstract: Assembly of chemically modified protein nanocages into 3D materials for the adsorption of uremic toxins
Communication

Spatiotemporal control over 3D protein nanocage superlattices for the hierarchical encapsulation and release of different cargo molecules

Three-dimensional ferritin nanocage superlattices can serve as a two-compartment system for the hierarchical encapsulation and release of two different cargoes in a spatiotemporally controlled manner.

Graphical abstract: Spatiotemporal control over 3D protein nanocage superlattices for the hierarchical encapsulation and release of different cargo molecules
Open Access Paper

Hierarchical peroxiredoxin assembly through orthogonal pH-response and electrostatic interactions

Highly ordered anisotropic assemblies of toroidal peroxiredoxin protein cage are reported by the sequential and orthogonal input of pH and chemical stimuli.

Graphical abstract: Hierarchical peroxiredoxin assembly through orthogonal pH-response and electrostatic interactions
Open Access Paper

Construction of viral protein-based hybrid nanomaterials mediated by a macromolecular glue

A dopamine based macromolecular glue is used to facilitate the construction of hybrid nanomaterials that are coated with virus capsid proteins, with the aim to improve stability, biocompatibility, and function.

Graphical abstract: Construction of viral protein-based hybrid nanomaterials mediated by a macromolecular glue
Paper

Rational design of elastin-like polypeptide fusion proteins to tune self-assembly and properties of protein vesicles

Protein vesicle self-assembly and size can be tuned by manipulating the amino acid sequence and length of elastin like polypeptide.

Graphical abstract: Rational design of elastin-like polypeptide fusion proteins to tune self-assembly and properties of protein vesicles
Paper

Engineering the HK97 virus-like particle as a nanoplatform for biotechnology applications

The research described here looks at the development of virus-like particles (VLPs) derived from bacteriophage HK97 as versatile scaffolds for bionanomaterials construction.

Graphical abstract: Engineering the HK97 virus-like particle as a nanoplatform for biotechnology applications
Open Access Paper

An artificial viral capsid decorated with a DNA aptamer internalizing into lymphoma cells

Tumor-specific drug-delivering nanocarriers could be a promising modality for next-generation tumor therapy.

Graphical abstract: An artificial viral capsid decorated with a DNA aptamer internalizing into lymphoma cells
Paper

Self-assembly of a fluorescent virus-like particle for imaging in tissues with high autofluorescence

Qβ VLP simplified assembly approach uses the positively charged Rev tag to interact electrostatically with the negatively charged RNAs. This system exploits the known hairpins produced in the coat protein sequence to template the assembly of the full viral capsid.

Graphical abstract: Self-assembly of a fluorescent virus-like particle for imaging in tissues with high autofluorescence
Paper

Enzyme/inorganic nanoparticle dual-loaded animal protein/plant protein composite nanospheres and their synergistic effect in cancer therapy

Glucose oxidase and Fe3O4 nanoparticles were successfully loaded inside regenerated silk fibroin/zein nanospheres to obtain composite nanospheres, which have significant potential for combining starvation and chemodynamic therapy.

Graphical abstract: Enzyme/inorganic nanoparticle dual-loaded animal protein/plant protein composite nanospheres and their synergistic effect in cancer therapy
Paper

Highly modular hepatitis B virus-like nanocarriers for therapeutic protein encapsulation and targeted delivery to triple negative breast cancer cells

A modular hepatitis B virus-like particle delivery platform enables enhanced uptake and toxicity in cancer cells.

Graphical abstract: Highly modular hepatitis B virus-like nanocarriers for therapeutic protein encapsulation and targeted delivery to triple negative breast cancer cells
Open Access Paper

Synthetic engineering of a new biocatalyst encapsulating [NiFe]-hydrogenases for enhanced hydrogen production

By incorporating [NiFe]-hydrogenases into a proteinaceous carboxysome shell, we generate a novel biocatalyst that has improved production of clean hydrogen, oxygen tolerance, and thermostability, highlighting its great potential in biotechnological applications.

Graphical abstract: Synthetic engineering of a new biocatalyst encapsulating [NiFe]-hydrogenases for enhanced hydrogen production
Paper

Sequential administration of virus-like particle-based nanomedicine to elicit enhanced tumor chemotherapy

Immunological problems have prevented applications of Virus like particles (VLPs). Here, we show that using immune-orthogonal VLPs sequentially and modifying of major immune region can circumvent immune responses after repeated administration.

Graphical abstract: Sequential administration of virus-like particle-based nanomedicine to elicit enhanced tumor chemotherapy
Paper

Pt(II) metallacycles encapsulated by ferritin enable precise cancer combination chemo-photodynamic therapy

We developed a multi-therapeutic organoplatinum-based drug (HFn-PtM) with good water solubility and active targeting via capturing metallacycles into the cavity of human heavy chain ferritin nanocages, which exhibited excellent anti-tumor efficiency.

Graphical abstract: Pt(ii) metallacycles encapsulated by ferritin enable precise cancer combination chemo-photodynamic therapy
Paper

microRNA-181a silencing by antisense oligonucleotides delivered by virus-like particles

Encapsulation of anti-miR-181a oligonucleotide into plant virus cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) improves the stability of both RNA oligonucleotides. Knockdown efficacy was significantly improved with CCMV encapsulation compared to non-encapsulated counterpart.

Graphical abstract: microRNA-181a silencing by antisense oligonucleotides delivered by virus-like particles
22 items

About this collection

Protein cages are highly ordered macromolecules that can be genetically encoded and chemically modified. They are characterized by well-defined structures, controllable self-assembly, capacity for cargo loading, and facile chemical or genetic engineering. Protein cages hold great potential as versatile platforms in diverse fields. Applications include biomedicine and drug delivery; enzymology and biocatalysis; bioinspired materials and templates for inorganic chemistry. These applications are underpinned by fundamental science drawing on the fields of biological chemistry, biophysics, physical chemistry, and computational chemistry. This themed collection in Journal of Materials Chemistry B is Guest Edited by Prof. Jeroen Cornelissen (University of Twente, the Netherlands), Prof. Feng Li (Wuhan Institute of Virology, China) and Dr Frank Sainsbury (Griffith University, Australia) and aims at providing a platform for recent developments in this rapidly evolving field of protein cages including, de novo design, biophysics of self-assembly, permeability, biocatalytic nanoreactors, artificial organelles, delivery of bioactive molecules, bioimaging and biosensing, multifunctional nanodevices and other applications. We hope that readers find this themed collection informative and that it will act as an up-to-date insight into the fascinating potential of protein cages in chemistry.

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