Nanoscopic leg irons: harvesting of polymer-stabilized membrane proteins with antibody-functionalized silica nanoparticles

Biomater Sci. 2015 Sep;3(9):1279-83. doi: 10.1039/c5bm00133a.

Abstract

Silica-based nanoparticles (SiNPs) are presented to harvest complex membrane proteins, which have been embedded into unilammelar polymersomes via in vitro membrane assisted protein synthesis (iMAP). Size-optimized SiNPs have been surface-modified with polymer-targeting antibodies, which are employed to harvest the protein-containing polymersomes. The polymersomes mimic the cellular membrane. They are chemically defined and preserve their structural-functional integrity as virtually any membrane protein species can be synthesized into such architecture via the ribosomal context of a cellular lysate. The SiNPs resemble 'heavy leg irons' catching the polymersomes in order to enable gravity-based generic purification and concentration of such proteopolymersomes from the crude mixture of cellular lysates.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies / chemistry*
  • Membrane Proteins / chemistry*
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Particle Size
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Silicon Dioxide / chemistry*
  • Silicon Dioxide / metabolism

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Polymers
  • Silicon Dioxide