Biology

Protein crystallization

Materials science

Active site

Biochemistry

Cage

Nanotechnology

Organic chemistry

Crystallization

Mathematics

Chaperone (clinical)

Enzyme

Combinatorics

Thermostability

Medicine

Chemistry

Biophysics

Pathology

Nano Letters

Development of protein cages for encapsulation of active enzyme cargoes and their subsequent arrangement into a controllable three-dimensional array is highly desirable. However, cargo capture is typically challenging because of difficulties in achieving reversible assembly/disassembly of protein cages in mild conditions. Herein we show that by using an unusual ferritin cage protein that undergoes triggerable assembly under mild conditions, we can achieve reversible filling with protein cargoes including an active enzyme. We demonstrate that these filled cages can be arrayed in three-dimensional crystal lattices and have an additional chaperone-like effect, increasing both thermostability and enzymatic activity of the encapsulated enzyme.

Three-Dimensional Protein Cage Array Capable of Active Enzyme Capture and Artificial Chaperone Activity