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Chen Y, Xu C, Sun M, Zhao G, Wang Z, Lv C. Vertasile ferritin nanocages: Applications in detection and bioimaging. Biosens Bioelectron 2024; 262:116567. [PMID: 39013360 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2024.116567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
Food safety and human health remain significant concerns in the food industry. Detecting food contaminants and diagnosing diseases are critical aspects. Ferritin, an iron storage protein widely found in nature, offers unique advantages. Its hollow protein nanocage structure, distinct interfaces, hydrophobic or hydrophilic channels, and B-C loop regions recognized by transferrin receptor 1 make ferritin versatile for detecting heavy metals, free radicals, and bioimaging both in vitro and in vivo. This review summarizes ferritin's general characteristics, its specific properties as biosensors, and its applications in food safety and in vivo imaging. It emphasizes not only ferritin's role in detecting heavy metals like mercury and chemical hazards but also its potential in early diagnosing chronic diseases such as tumors, macrophages, and kidney diseases. Further research into ferritin promises advancements in enhancing food safety and improving human health diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunqi Chen
- College of Food Science & Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Functional Food from Plant Resources, Beijing, PR China
| | - Chen Xu
- College of Food Science & Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Functional Food from Plant Resources, Beijing, PR China
| | - Mingyang Sun
- College of Food Science & Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Functional Food from Plant Resources, Beijing, PR China
| | - Guanghua Zhao
- College of Food Science & Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Functional Food from Plant Resources, Beijing, PR China
| | - Zhongjiang Wang
- College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Haerbin, Heilongjiang Province, PR China.
| | - Chenyan Lv
- College of Food Science & Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Functional Food from Plant Resources, Beijing, PR China.
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2
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van der Ven AM, Gyamfi H, Suttisansanee U, Ahmad MS, Su Z, Taylor RM, Poole A, Chiorean S, Daub E, Urquhart T, Honek JF. Molecular Engineering of E. coli Bacterioferritin: A Versatile Nanodimensional Protein Cage. Molecules 2023; 28:4663. [PMID: 37375226 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28124663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, intense interest is focused on the discovery and application of new multisubunit cage proteins and spherical virus capsids to the fields of bionanotechnology, drug delivery, and diagnostic imaging as their internal cavities can serve as hosts for fluorophores or bioactive molecular cargo. Bacterioferritin is unusual in the ferritin protein superfamily of iron-storage cage proteins in that it contains twelve heme cofactors and is homomeric. The goal of the present study is to expand the capabilities of ferritins by developing new approaches to molecular cargo encapsulation employing bacterioferritin. Two strategies were explored to control the encapsulation of a diverse range of molecular guests compared to random entrapment, a predominant strategy employed in this area. The first was the inclusion of histidine-tag peptide fusion sequences within the internal cavity of bacterioferritin. This approach allowed for the successful and controlled encapsulation of a fluorescent dye, a protein (fluorescently labeled streptavidin), or a 5 nm gold nanoparticle. The second strategy, termed the heme-dependent cassette strategy, involved the substitution of the native heme with heme analogs attached to (i) fluorescent dyes or (ii) nickel-nitrilotriacetate (NTA) groups (which allowed for controllable encapsulation of a histidine-tagged green fluorescent protein). An in silico docking approach identified several small molecules able to replace the heme and capable of controlling the quaternary structure of the protein. A transglutaminase-based chemoenzymatic approach to surface modification of this cage protein was also accomplished, allowing for future nanoparticle targeting. This research presents novel strategies to control a diverse set of molecular encapsulations and adds a further level of sophistication to internal protein cavity engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton M van der Ven
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Hawa Gyamfi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | | | - Muhammad S Ahmad
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Zhengding Su
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Robert M Taylor
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Amanda Poole
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Sorina Chiorean
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Elisabeth Daub
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Taylor Urquhart
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - John F Honek
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
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Protein encapsulation of nanocatalysts: A feasible approach to facilitate catalytic theranostics. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 192:114648. [PMID: 36513163 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Enzyme-mimicking nanocatalysts, also termed nanozymes, have attracted much attention in recent years. They are considered potential alternatives to natural enzymes due to their multiple catalytic activities and high stability. However, concerns regarding the colloidal stability, catalytic specificity, efficiency and biosafety of nanomaterials in biomedical applications still need to be addressed. Proteins are biodegradable macromolecules that exhibit superior biocompatibility and inherent bioactivities; hence, the protein modification of nanocatalysts is expected to improve their bioavailability to match clinical needs. The diversity of amino acid residues in proteins provides abundant functional groups for the conjugation or encapsulation of nanocatalysts. Moreover, protein encapsulation can not only improve the overall performance of nanocatalysts in biological systems, but also bestow materials with new features, such as targeting and retention in pathological sites. This review aims to report the recent developments and perspectives of protein-encapsulated catalysts in their functional improvements, modification methods and applications in biomedicine.
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Mohanty A, Parida A, Raut RK, Behera RK. Ferritin: A Promising Nanoreactor and Nanocarrier for Bionanotechnology. ACS BIO & MED CHEM AU 2022; 2:258-281. [PMID: 37101573 PMCID: PMC10114856 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomedchemau.2c00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
The essence of bionanotechnology lies in the application of nanotechnology/nanomaterials to solve the biological problems. Quantum dots and nanoparticles hold potential biomedical applications, but their inherent problems such as low solubility and associated toxicity due to their interactions at nonspecific target sites is a major concern. The self-assembled, thermostable, ferritin protein nanocages possessing natural iron scavenging ability have emerged as a potential solution to all the above-mentioned problems by acting as nanoreactor and nanocarrier. Ferritins, the cellular iron repositories, are hollow, spherical, symmetric multimeric protein nanocages, which sequester the excess of free Fe(II) and synthesize iron biominerals (Fe2O3·H2O) inside their ∼5-8 nm central cavity. The electrostatics and dynamics of the pore residues not only drives the natural substrate Fe2+ inside ferritin nanocages but also uptakes a set of other metals ions/counterions during in vitro synthesis of nanomaterial. The current review aims to report the recent developments/understanding on ferritin structure (self-assembly, surface/pores electrostatics, metal ion binding sites) and chemistry occurring inside these supramolecular protein cages (protein mediated metal ion uptake and mineralization/nanoparticle formation) along with its surface modification to exploit them for various nanobiotechnological applications. Furthermore, a better understanding of ferritin self-assembly would be highly useful for optimizing the incorporation of nanomaterials via the disassembly/reassembly approach. Several studies have reported the successful engineering of these ferritin protein nanocages in order to utilize them as potential nanoreactor for synthesizing/incorporating nanoparticles and as nanocarrier for delivering imaging agents/drugs at cell specific target sites. Therefore, the combination of nanoscience (nanomaterials) and bioscience (ferritin protein) projects several benefits for various applications ranging from electronics to medicine.
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Taher M, Maity B, Nakane T, Abe S, Ueno T, Mazumdar S. Controlled Uptake of an Iridium Complex inside Engineered apo‐Ferritin Nanocages: Study of Structure and Catalysis**. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202116623. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.202116623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Taher
- Department of Chemical Sciences Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba Mumbai 400005 India
| | - Basudev Maity
- School of Life science and Technology Tokyo Institute of Technology Nagatsuta-cho 4259, Midori-ku Yokohama 226-8501 Japan
| | - Taiki Nakane
- School of Life science and Technology Tokyo Institute of Technology Nagatsuta-cho 4259, Midori-ku Yokohama 226-8501 Japan
| | - Satoshi Abe
- School of Life science and Technology Tokyo Institute of Technology Nagatsuta-cho 4259, Midori-ku Yokohama 226-8501 Japan
| | - Takafumi Ueno
- School of Life science and Technology Tokyo Institute of Technology Nagatsuta-cho 4259, Midori-ku Yokohama 226-8501 Japan
- World Research Hub Initiative (WRHI) Tokyo Institute of Technology Nagatsuta-cho 4259, Midori-ku Yokohama 226-8501 Japan
| | - Shyamalava Mazumdar
- Department of Chemical Sciences Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba Mumbai 400005 India
- World Research Hub Initiative (WRHI) Tokyo Institute of Technology Nagatsuta-cho 4259, Midori-ku Yokohama 226-8501 Japan
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Taher M, Maity B, Nakane T, Abe S, Ueno T, Mazumdar S. Controlled Uptake of an Iridium Complex inside Engineered apo‐Ferritin Nanocages: Study of Structure and Catalysis. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202116623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Taher
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Department of Chemical Sciences Homi Bhabha RoadNavy NagarColaba 400005 Mumbai INDIA
| | - Basudev Maity
- Tokyo Institute of Technology: Tokyo Kogyo Daigaku School of Life Science and Technology Nagatsuta-Cho4259-B55 226-8501 Midori-ku JAPAN
| | - Taiki Nakane
- Tokyo Institute of Technology: Tokyo Kogyo Daigaku School of Life Science and technology Nagatsuta-Cho4259-B55 226-8501 Midori-ku JAPAN
| | - Satoshi Abe
- Tokyo Institute of Technology: Tokyo Kogyo Daigaku School of Life Science and Technology Nagatsuta-Cho4259-B55 226-8501 Midori-ku JAPAN
| | - Takafumi Ueno
- Tokyo Institute of Technology: Tokyo Kogyo Daigaku School of Life Science and Technology Nagatsuta-cho4259-B55 226-8501 Midori-ku JAPAN
| | - Shyamalava Mazumdar
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Department of Chemical Sciences Homi Bhabha RoadColaba 400005 Mumbai INDIA
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Shen Y, Zhang N, Tian J, Xin G, Liu L, Sun X, Li B. Advanced approaches for improving bioavailability and controlled release of anthocyanins. J Control Release 2021; 341:285-299. [PMID: 34822910 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Anthocyanins are a group of phytochemicals responsible for the purple or red color of plants. Additionally, they are recognized to have health promoting functions including anti-cardiovascular, anti-thrombotic, anti-diabetic, antimicrobial, neuroprotective, and visual protective effect as well as anti-cancer activities. Thus, consumption of anthocyanin supplement or anthocyanin-rich foods has been recommended to prevent the risk of development of chronic diseases. However, the low stability and bioavailability of anthocyanins limit the efficacy and distribution of anthocyanins in human body. Thus, strategies to achieve target site-local delivery with good bioavailability and controlled release rate are necessary. This review introduced and discussed the latest advanced techniques of designing lipid-based, polysaccharide-based and protein-based complexes, nano-encapsulation and exosome to overcome the limitation of anthocyanins. The improved bioavailability and controlled release of anthocyanins have great significance for gastrointestinal tract absorption, transepithelial transportation and cellular uptake. The techniques of applying different biocompatible materials and modifying the solubility of anthocyanins complex could achieve target site-local delivery with negligible degradation and good bioavailability in human body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixiao Shen
- College of Food Science, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110161, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- College of Horticulture Science and Technology, Hebei Normal University of Science & Technology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Horticulture Germplasm Excavation and Innovative Utilization Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China
| | - Jinlong Tian
- College of Food Science, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110161, China
| | - Guang Xin
- College of Food Science, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110161, China
| | - Ling Liu
- College of Food Science, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110161, China
| | - Xiyun Sun
- College of Food Science, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110161, China
| | - Bin Li
- College of Food Science, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110161, China.
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Aires A, Sousaraei A, Möller M, Cabanillas-Gonzalez J, Cortajarena AL. Boosting the Photoluminescent Properties of Protein-Stabilized Gold Nanoclusters through Protein Engineering. NANO LETTERS 2021; 21:9347-9353. [PMID: 34723561 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c03768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
This work reports on the use of protein engineering as a versatile tool to rationally design metal-binding proteins for the synthesis of highly photoluminescent protein-stabilized gold nanoclusters (Prot-AuNCs). The use of a single repeat protein scaffold allowed the incorporation of a set of designed metal-binding sites to understand the effect of the metal-coordinating residues and the protein environment on the photoluminescent (PL) properties of gold nanoclusters (AuNCs). The resulting Prot-AuNCs, synthesized by two sustainable procedures, showed size-tunable color emission and outstanding PL properties. In a second stage, tryptophan (Trp) residues were introduced at specific positions to provide an electron-rich protein environment and favor energy transfer from Trps to AuNCs. This modification resulted in improved PL properties relevant for future applications in sensing, biological labeling, catalysis, and optics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Aires
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CICbiomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA). Paseo de Miramón 194, Donostia-San Sebastián 20014, Spain
| | - Ahmad Sousaraei
- Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies, IMDEA Nanociencia, Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Marco Möller
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CICbiomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA). Paseo de Miramón 194, Donostia-San Sebastián 20014, Spain
| | - Juan Cabanillas-Gonzalez
- Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies, IMDEA Nanociencia, Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Aitziber L Cortajarena
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CICbiomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA). Paseo de Miramón 194, Donostia-San Sebastián 20014, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
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Uribe KB, Guisasola E, Aires A, López-Martínez E, Guedes G, Sasselli IR, Cortajarena AL. Engineered Repeat Protein Hybrids: The New Horizon for Biologic Medicines and Diagnostic Tools. Acc Chem Res 2021; 54:4166-4177. [PMID: 34730945 PMCID: PMC8600599 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
ConspectusThe last decades have witnessed unprecedented scientific breakthroughs in all the fields of knowledge, from basic sciences to translational research, resulting in the drastic improvement of the lifespan and overall quality of life. However, despite these great advances, the treatment and diagnosis of some diseases remain a challenge. Inspired by nature, scientists have been exploring biomolecules and their derivatives as novel therapeutic/diagnostic agents. Among biomolecules, proteins raise much interest due to their high versatility, biocompatibility, and biodegradability.Protein binders (binders) are proteins that bind other proteins, in certain cases, inhibiting or modulating their action. Given their therapeutic potential, binders are emerging as the next generation of biopharmaceuticals. The most well-known example of binders are antibodies, and inspired by them researchers have developed alternative binders using protein design approaches. Protein design can be based on naturally occurring proteins in which, by means of rational design or combinatorial approaches, new binding interfaces can be engineered to obtain specific functions or based on de novo proteins emerging from state-of-the-art computational methodologies.Among the novel designed proteins, a class of engineered repeat proteins, the consensus tetratricopeptide repeat (CTPR) proteins, stand out due to their stability and robustness. The CTPR unit is a helix-turn-helix motif constituted of 34 amino acids, of which only 8 are essential to ensure correct folding of the structure. The small number of conserved residues of CTPR proteins leaves plenty of freedom for functional mutations, making them a base scaffold that can be easily and reproducibly tailored to endow desired functions to the protein. For example, the introduction of metal-binding residues (e.g., histidines, cysteines) drives the coordination of metal ions and the subsequent formation of nanomaterials. Additionally, the CTPR unit can be conjugated with other peptides/proteins or repeated in tandem to encode larger CTPR proteins with superhelical structures. These properties allow for the design of both binder and nanomaterial-coordination modules as well as their combination within the same molecule, making the CTPR proteins, as we have demonstrated in several recent examples, the ideal platform to develop protein-nanomaterial hybrids. Generally, the fusion of two distinct materials exploits the best properties of each; however, in protein-nanomaterial hybrids, the fusion takes on a new dimension as new properties arise.These hybrids have ushered the use of protein-based nanomaterials as biopharmaceuticals beyond their original therapeutic scope and paved the way for their use as theranostic agents. Despite several reports of protein-stabilized nanomaterials found in the literature, these systems offer limited control in the synthesis and properties of the grown nanomaterials, as the protein acts just as a stabilizing agent with no significant functional contribution. Therefore, the rational design of protein-based nanomaterials as true theranostic agents is still incipient. In this context, CTPR proteins have emerged as promising scaffolds to hold simultaneously therapeutic and diagnostic functions through protein engineering, as it has been recently demonstrated in pioneering in vitro and in vivo examples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kepa B. Uribe
- Center
for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo de Miramón 194, 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Eduardo Guisasola
- Center
for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo de Miramón 194, 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Antonio Aires
- Center
for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo de Miramón 194, 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Elena López-Martínez
- Center
for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo de Miramón 194, 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Gabriela Guedes
- Center
for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo de Miramón 194, 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Ivan R. Sasselli
- Center
for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo de Miramón 194, 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Aitziber L. Cortajarena
- Center
for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo de Miramón 194, 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Plaza de Euskadi 5, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
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Zhang B, Tang G, He J, Yan X, Fan K. Ferritin nanocage: A promising and designable multi-module platform for constructing dynamic nanoassembly-based drug nanocarrier. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 176:113892. [PMID: 34331986 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.113892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Ferritin has been widely recognized as an ideal drug delivery vehicle owing to its unique cage-like structure. Coupled with intrinsic targeting ability and excellent biosafety, ferritin-based drug delivery system, recently coined as ferritin drug carrier (FDC), has sparked great interest among researchers and shown promising application potential in the biomedical field. However, the flexibility and accuracy of traditional FDCs are limited when facing with complex disease microenvironments. To meet the fast-growing requirements for precision medicine, ferritin can serve as a designable multi-module platform to fabricate smarter FDC, which we introduce here as dynamic nanoassembly-based ferritin drug carrier (DNFDC). Compared to conventional FDC, DNFDCs directly integrate required functions into their nanostructure, which can achieve dynamic transformation upon stimuli to specifically activate and exert therapeutic functions at targeted sites. In this review, we summarize the superior characteristics of ferritin that contribute to the on-demand design of DNFDC and outline the current advances in DNFDC. Moreover, the potential research directions and challenges are also discussed here. Hopefully, this review may inspire the future development of DNFDC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoli Zhang
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceutical, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
| | - Guoheng Tang
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceutical, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
| | - Jiuyang He
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceutical, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiyun Yan
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceutical, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China; Nanozyme Medical Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
| | - Kelong Fan
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceutical, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China; Nanozyme Medical Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
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11
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Factors deciding the assembly and thermostability of the DmrB cage. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 182:959-967. [PMID: 33872614 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.04.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Dihydromethanopterin reductase (DmrB), is a naturally occurring cage protein found in various archaeal and a few bacterial species. It exists as 24mer with cubic geometry where 8 trimeric subunits are present at the corners of each cube. Each trimer is made up of three monomeric units and six FMN, where two molecules of FMN are present at the interface of each monomer. DmrB is involved in the conversion of dihydromethanopterin to tetrahydromethanopterin using FMN as a redox equivalent. In the present study, we have used spectroscopic and biochemical techniques along with complementary bio-informatic work to understand the assembly principles of the DmrB. Our results show a concentration dependant self-assembly of DmrB which is mediated by ionic interactions. The co-factor FMN stabilizes and preserves the secondary and quaternary structure of DmrB against thermal insult, indicating that the higher order assembly of DmrB is very thermostable. Our work provides an interesting piece of information regarding the role of the co-factors in the thermostability of these classes of cage proteins. The understanding of the assembly and disassembly of this thermostable cage would enable the downstream usage of this system in various nano-biotechnological applications.
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Lv C, Zhang X, Liu Y, Zhang T, Chen H, Zang J, Zheng B, Zhao G. Redesign of protein nanocages: the way from 0D, 1D, 2D to 3D assembly. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:3957-3989. [PMID: 33587075 DOI: 10.1039/d0cs01349h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Compartmentalization is a hallmark of living systems. Through compartmentalization, ubiquitous protein nanocages such as viral capsids, ferritin, small heat shock proteins, and DNA-binding proteins from starved cells fulfill a variety of functions, while their shell-like structures hold great promise for various applications in the field of nanomedicine and nanotechnology. However, the number and structure of natural protein nanocages are limited, and these natural protein nanocages may not be suited for a given application, which might impede their further application as nanovehicles, biotemplates or building blocks. To overcome these shortcomings, different strategies have been developed by scientists to construct artificial protein nanocages, and 1D, 2D and 3D protein arrays with protein nanocages as building blocks through genetic and chemical modification to rival the size and functionality of natural protein nanocages. This review outlines the recent advances in the field of the design and construction of artificial protein nanocages and their assemblies with higher order, summarizes the strategies for creating the assembly of protein nanocages from zero-dimension to three dimensions, and introduces their corresponding applications in the preparation of nanomaterials, electrochemistry, and drug delivery. The review will highlight the roles of both the inter-subunit/intermolecular interactions at the key interface and the protein symmetry in constructing and controlling protein nanocage assemblies with different dimensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyan Lv
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Functional Food from Plant Resources, Beijing 100083, China.
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13
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Hishikawa Y, Maity B, Ito N, Abe S, Lu D, Ueno T. Design of Multinuclear Gold Binding Site at the Two-fold Symmetric Interface of the Ferritin Cage. CHEM LETT 2020. [DOI: 10.1246/cl.200217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Hishikawa
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, 30 Shuangqing Rd, Haidian District, Beijing 100-084, P. R. China
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259-B55 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8501, Japan
| | - Basudev Maity
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259-B55 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8501, Japan
| | - Nozomi Ito
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259-B55 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8501, Japan
| | - Satoshi Abe
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259-B55 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8501, Japan
| | - Diannan Lu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, 30 Shuangqing Rd, Haidian District, Beijing 100-084, P. R. China
| | - Takafumi Ueno
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259-B55 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8501, Japan
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14
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Sitia L, Sevieri M, Bonizzi A, Allevi R, Morasso C, Foschi D, Corsi F, Mazzucchelli S. Development of Tumor-Targeted Indocyanine Green-Loaded Ferritin Nanoparticles for Intraoperative Detection of Cancers. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:12035-12045. [PMID: 32548382 PMCID: PMC7271044 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c00244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Indocyanine green (ICG) is a fluorescent dye with a strong emission in the near-infrared spectral range that allows deep signal penetration and minimal interference of tissue autofluorescence. It has been employed in clinics for different applications, among which the more interesting is certainly near-infrared fluorescence image-guided surgery. This technique has found wide application in surgical oncology for lymph node mapping or for laparoscopic surgery. Despite ICG being useful for tracking loco-regional lymph nodes, it does not provide any information about cancer involvement of such lymph nodes or lymphatic vessels, lacking any tumor-targeting specificity. However, the clinical need in surgical oncology is not only a specific tracking of metastatic nodes but also the intraoperative detection of micrometastatic deposits. Here, we have exploited a nanotechnological solution to improve ICG usefulness by its encapsulation in H-ferritin (HFn) nanocages. They are natural protein-based nanoparticles that exhibit some very interesting features as delivery systems in oncological applications because they display specific tumor homing. We show that HFn loaded with ICG exhibits specific uptake into different cancer cell lines and is able to deliver ICG to the tumor more efficiently than the free dye in an in vivo model of TNBC. Our results pave the way for the application of ICG-loaded HFn in fluorescence image-guided surgery of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leopoldo Sitia
- Nanomedicine
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi
Sacco”, Università degli Studi
di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Sevieri
- Nanomedicine
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi
Sacco”, Università degli Studi
di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Arianna Bonizzi
- Nanomedicine
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi
Sacco”, Università degli Studi
di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Raffaele Allevi
- Nanomedicine
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi
Sacco”, Università degli Studi
di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Carlo Morasso
- Nanomedicine
and Molecular Imaging Lab, Istituti Clinici
Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, via S. Maugeri, 10, 27100 Pavia (PV), Italy
| | - Diego Foschi
- General
Surgery Division, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi
Sacco”, Università degli Studi
di Milano, via G.B. Grassi
74, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Corsi
- Nanomedicine
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi
Sacco”, Università degli Studi
di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy
- Nanomedicine
and Molecular Imaging Lab, Istituti Clinici
Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, via S. Maugeri, 10, 27100 Pavia (PV), Italy
- Breast
Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri
IRCCS, via S. Maugeri,
10, 27100 Pavia
(PV), Italy
| | - Serena Mazzucchelli
- Nanomedicine
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi
Sacco”, Università degli Studi
di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy
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15
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Feng B, Xing Y, Lan J, Su Z, Wang F. Synthesis of MUC1 aptamer-stabilized gold nanoclusters for cell-specific imaging. Talanta 2020; 212:120796. [PMID: 32113558 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2020.120796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Targeted imaging of cancer cells is crucial for early diagnosis. Mucin is a transmembrane protein that is overexpressed by cancer cells and is considered a cancer target. Specific recognition of mucin by aptamers has been receiving increasing attention in recent years. In this study, we use DNA MUC1 aptamer as a protective agent and target molecule in the synthesis of ultra-small fluorescent gold nanoclusters (MUC1-AuNCs) via a simple one-step method. MUC1-AuNCs exhibited red fluorescence emission with excellent stability over a wide pH range and under strong illumination. Confocal images showed that the synthesized MUC1-AuNCs efficiently targeted mucin overexpressing 4T1 cancer cells, but were not observed in 293T normal cells. Furthermore, the MUC1-AuNCs had a 5667 ns lifetime and 235 nm Stokes shifts and markedly eliminated background interference, suggesting they are a promising fluorescent probe for cell-targeted labeling and imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Feng
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830054, China
| | - Yanan Xing
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Jinze Lan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Zhi Su
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830054, China.
| | - Fu Wang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830054, China; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
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16
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Yu Y, Lee WD, Tan YN. Protein-protected gold/silver alloy nanoclusters in metal-enhanced singlet oxygen generation and their correlation with photoluminescence. MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING. C, MATERIALS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS 2019; 109:110525. [PMID: 32228897 DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2019.110525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Photoluminescent noble metal nanoclusters (NCs, core size <2 nm) have recently emerged as a new type of photosensitizers advantageous over conventional photosensitizers due to their high singlet oxygen (1O2) generation efficiency, excellent photostability and water solubility, as well as good biocompatibility for photodynamic therapy and bioimaging. However, no correlation has been established between the intrinsic 1O2 generation and photoluminescence properties of metal NCs with their size, composition, and concentration, which is important to customize the molecule-like properties of NCs for different applications. Herein, we report a systematic study to uncover the rational design of bimetallic NCs with controllable 1O2 generation efficiency by tuning their compositions through spontaneous galvanic displacement reaction. A series of ultrasmall gold/silver alloy nanoclusters (AuAgNCs) were synthesized by reacting bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein-protected Ag13NCs (13 Ag atoms/cluster) with varying concentrations of gold precursor at room temperature. It was found that the 1O2 generation efficiency of the resultant BSA-protected AuAgNCs were inversely correlated to their photoluminescence intensity. Interestingly, plasmonic gold nanoparticles (>10 nm) were also formed simultaneously by photobleaching of the BSA-AuAgNCs, leading to significant metal enhancement effect to the 1O2 generation rate much higher (~45 times) than that of the monometallic BSA-Ag13NC. This versatile two-for-one strategy to develop next generation metal-enhanced bimetallic NC photosensitizers in one pot opens up new opportunities in designing advanced hybrid nanomaterials with complementary and/or enhanced functionalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Yu
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 2 Fusionopolis Way, #08-03, Innovis, 138634, Singapore
| | - Wen Di Lee
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Avenue, 639798, Singapore
| | - Yen Nee Tan
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 2 Fusionopolis Way, #08-03, Innovis, 138634, Singapore; Faculty of Science, Agriculture & Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, United Kingdom.
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