Protein self-assembly via supramolecular strategies

Chem Soc Rev. 2016 May 21;45(10):2756-67. doi: 10.1039/c6cs00004e. Epub 2016 Apr 15.

Abstract

Proteins, as the elemental basis of living organisms, mostly execute their biological tasks in the form of supramolecular self-assemblies with subtle architectures, dynamic interactions and versatile functionalities. Inspired by the structural harmony and functional beauty of natural protein self-assemblies to fabricate sophisticated yet highly ordered protein superstructures represents an adventure in the pursuit of nature's supreme wisdom. In this review, we focus on building protein self-assembly systems based on supramolecular strategies and classify recent progress by the types of utilized supramolecular driving forces. Especially, the design strategy, structure control and the thermodynamic/kinetic regulation of the self-assemblies, which will in turn provide insights into the natural biological self-assembly mechanism, are highlighted. In addition, recently, this research field is starting to extend its interest beyond constructing complex morphologies towards the potential applications of the self-assembly systems; several attempts to design functional protein complexes are also discussed. As such, we hope that this review will provide a panoramic sketch of the field and draw a roadmap towards the ultimate construction of advanced protein self-assemblies that even can serve as analogues of their natural counterparts.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Kinetics
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry*
  • Models, Chemical
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Multimerization*
  • Protein Structure, Quaternary*
  • Proteins / chemistry*
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Proteins