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Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Design, Synthesis, and Photochemical Properties of Clickable Caged Compounds
Published on: October 15, 2019
Design of a pH-dependent molecular switch in a caged protein platform
Mercè Dalmau1, Sierin Lim, Szu-Wen Wang
1Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-2575, USA.
Abstract:
Self-assembling protein cages provide a wide range of possible applications in nanotechnology. We report the first example of an engineered pH-dependent molecular switch in a virus-like particle. By genetically manipulating the subunit-subunit interface of the E2 subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase, we introduce pH-responsive assembly into a scaffold that is natively stable at both pH 5.0 and 7.4. The redesigned protein module yields an intact, stable particle at pH 7.4 that dissociates at pH 5.0. This triggered behavior is especially relevant for applications in therapeutic delivery.
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