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Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Directed Assembly of Elastin-like Proteins into defined Supramolecular Structures and Cargo Encapsulation In Vitro
Published on: April 8, 2020
Bioinspired genetic engineering of supramolecular assembled formate dehydrogenase with enhanced biocatalysis
Wei Jiang1, Ruonan Yang2, Peng Lin2
1Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361021, China; Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China.
Abstract:
A bioinspired strategy for the synthesis of supramolecular and biocatalytical materials was developed base on protein-protein supramolecular interaction and genetic engineering. Formate dehydrogenase (FDH) and its functional fragments were separately fused to form a multi-function domain. The fusion proteins and functional fragments self-assembled into the expanded and controllable supramolecular interaction networks. Morphology characterization by scanning-electron microscopy showed that the assembled functional fragments and fusion proteins formed multi-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) layer-like structures. Moreover, the oligomeric biocatalysts exhibited higher structural stability and NAD(H) recycling efficiency than the unassembled structures when they were applied to a co-enzyme regeneration system. These results suggest that the bioinspired strategy provides a promising approach for the fabrication of supramolecular FDH materials via genetic engineering and self-assembly. The significant improvement on the biocatalytical activity reveals the essential role of supramolecular interface design in their biocatalysis applications.
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