Chaperonins: Nanocarriers with Biotechnological Applications.
NANOMATERIALS 2021;
11:nano11020503. [PMID:
33671209 PMCID:
PMC7922521 DOI:
10.3390/nano11020503]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Chaperonins are molecular chaperones found in all kingdoms of life, and as such they assist in the folding of other proteins. Structurally, chaperonins are cylinders composed of two back-to-back rings, each of which is an oligomer of ~60-kDa proteins. Chaperonins are found in two main conformations, one in which the cavity is open and ready to recognise and trap unfolded client proteins, and a "closed" form in which folding takes place. The conspicuous properties of this structure (a cylinder containing a cavity that allows confinement) and the potential to control its closure and aperture have inspired a number of nanotechnological applications that will be described in this review.
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