Unraveling the Structural Dynamics of an Enzyme Encapsulated within a Metal-Organic Framework

Herein, we detail an atomic-level investigation of the cutinase enzyme encapsulated within a model metal-organic framework (MOF) platform using quantum mechanics calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. Cutinase, when encapsulated in an isoreticularly expanded MOF-74 (cutinase@IRMOF-74-VI), was proven to maintain its structural stability at temperatures that would otherwise denature the enzyme in its unprotected native state. Hydrogen bonding and salt bridge interactions, most notably involving arginine residues at the surface of the enzyme, were critical for stabilizing cutinase within the pore channels of IRMOF-74-VI. The findings reported support the viability of enzyme encapsulation in a porous material by demonstrating that a model enzyme not only retains its structural integrity but also remains accessible and active under extreme and foreign conditions.