Protein Arrangement in Metal-Organic Framework
June 15, 2023
Top left: SANS profiles of deuterated green fluorescent protein (d-GFP) encapsulated in MOF as a function of protein concentration. Bottom left: Scattering profiles of the GFP alone. Right: 3D reconstruction of GFP in the MOF
Scientific Achievement
This is the first work to unveil the self-assembly of proteins through adsorbate-adsorbate interactions across pore apertures of a metal-organic framework (MOF) via small-angle neutron scattering (SANS).
Significance and Impact
SANS enables the visualization of large assemblies formed by encapsulated proteins within the nanopores of the MOF, providing valuable insights for diverse fields such as biocatalysis, biomedicine, and beyond.
Research Details
- SANS profiles of encapsulated d-GFP were obtained at the contrast matching condition for the MOF.
- The 3D reconstruction of encapsulated d-GFP indicates the effects of the confinements on the interactions between the protein and its surroundings result in conformational changes compared to its structure in solution.
“Spatially Confined Protein Assembly in Hierarchical Mesoporous Metal-Organic Framework”
Xiaoliang Wang, Lilin He,3Jacob Sumner, Shuo Qian, Qiu Zhang,3Hugh O’Neill, Yimin Mao, Chengxia Chen, Abdullah M. Al-Enizi, Ayman Nafady, Shengqian Ma
Nature Communications 14, 973 (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36533-w.
