Synthesis of inorganic nanophase materials in supramolecular protein cages

Rational disruption of the oligomerization of the mini‐ferritin E. coli DPS through protein‐protein interface mutation

“…1,2 Moreover, protein-protein interactions are also integral to the generation of cellular selfassembled nano-structures, and establishing how they control self-assembly could lead not only to fundamental understanding but also to the eventual rational design of novel structures for a myriad of applications such as the templation of inorganic nano-materials and for encapsulated reaction chemistry. [3][4][5][6][7][8] Although protein-protein interactions are intriguing medicinal targets, they have only recently been pursued for drug development studies somewhat owing to the discovery that although they often involve large, buried surface area, they can be inhibited using low molecular weight small molecules that target ''hot spot'' residues where the binding energy is concentrated. 9,10 Alanine shaving, where individual side changes are conceptually shaved to a methyl residuum and where the stabilities of the resulting mutants are determined with respect to wild type, is the most common method to identify hot spot residues.…”

Electrochemically controlled reconstitution of immobilized ferritins for bioelectronic applications

“…A synthesis of ferrimagnetic ferritin (γ-Fe 2 O 3 ) was achieved by a chemical remineralization procedure [7,8] with the assistance of H 2 O 2 oxidant in 3-[(1,1-dimethyl-2-hydroxyethyl)amino]-2-hydroxypropanesulfonic acid(AMPSO) buffer (pH 8.5) at 65 o C under N 2 gas. Biomineralization of other metals (i.e., Co [9,11], Mn [12][13][14], Ni [15], and Pd [16]), semiconductors (CdS) [17], and metal-oxo-anions composites [18] into the ferritin cavity has also been reported. Wong et al demonstrated the magnetic transition from superparamagnetic to ferromagnetic CoPt cored ferritin [19][20].…”

Kinetic and structural characterization of an intermediate in the biomineralization of bacterioferritin

“…The formation of non-haem iron cores by the ironstorage proteins ferritin [l-8] and bacterioferritin [9-1 I], of magnetite particles by magnetotactic organisms , and of goethite-and lepidocrocite-containing teeth by marine organisms [I 51, is a subject of considerable biological and chemical interest. Investigations of these bio~nerals focus on their relationship with the iron metabolism of their respective organisms, on the use of their organic components for the synthesis of novel inorganic materials [16], and on the development of inorganic syntheses which mimic physical aspects of the metal-containing component of the biomineral [ 17,181. Such studies are h~dicap~d by a lack of information about the biochemical mechanisms of biominera1 formation.…”