Structure of a 16-nm cage designed by using protein oligomers.

Publication Type:

Journal Article

Authors:

Lai, Yen-Ting; Cascio, Duilio; Yeates, Todd O

Source:

Science, Volume 336, Issue 6085, p.1129 (2012)

Keywords:

Crystallography, X-Ray, Models, Molecular, Peroxidases, Protein Conformation, Protein Engineering, Protein Multimerization, Protein Structure, Secondary, Protein Structure, Tertiary, Protein Subunits, Proteins, Viral Matrix Proteins

Abstract:

<p>Designing protein molecules that will assemble into various kinds of ordered materials represents an important challenge in nanotechnology. We report the crystal structure of a 12-subunit protein cage that self-assembles by design to form a tetrahedral structure roughly 16 nanometers in diameter. The strategy of fusing together oligomeric protein domains can be generalized to produce other kinds of cages or extended materials.</p>