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Pore Engineering for Enhanced Mass Transport in Encapsulin Nanocompartments
Elsie M Williams1, Se Min Jung1, Jennifer L Coffman1
1Department of Chemistry , Emory University , 1515 Dickey Drive , Atlanta , Georgia 30084 , United States.
ACS Synthetic Biology
|October 31, 2018
Summary
Engineered protein shells called encapsulins now have larger pores, improving molecular transport. This protein engineering advance creates better scaffolds for bionanoreactors and drug delivery systems.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Protein Engineering
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Encapsulins are protein-based nanostructures with icosahedral symmetry.
- Native encapsulins possess small pores (3 Å diameter) limiting substrate transport.
- These limitations hinder applications in drug delivery and synthetic biology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer encapsulin pores for enhanced molecular transport.
- To improve encapsulin scaffolds for bionanoreactor applications.
Main Methods:
- Redesigning the pore-forming loop region of Thermotoga maritima encapsulin.
- Utilizing a lanthanide ion diffusion assay to measure mass transport rates.
- Characterizing the enlarged pore size through biophysical methods.
Main Results:
- Successfully enlarged encapsulin pore diameter to an estimated 11 Å.
- Achieved a 7-fold increase in mass transport rates.
- Demonstrated high tolerance of encapsulin for protein engineering.
Conclusions:
- Engineered encapsulins exhibit significantly enhanced molecular permeability.
- Modified encapsulins serve as improved scaffolds for bionanoreactors.
- This work expands the utility of encapsulins in nanotechnology and synthetic biology.
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