Observation of gold sub-nanocluster nucleation within a crystalline protein cage
نویسندگان
چکیده
Protein scaffolds provide unique metal coordination environments that promote biomineralization processes. It is expected that protein scaffolds can be developed to prepare inorganic nanomaterials with important biomedical and material applications. Despite many promising applications, it remains challenging to elucidate the detailed mechanisms of formation of metal nanoparticles in protein environments. In the present work, we describe a crystalline protein cage constructed by crosslinking treatment of a single crystal of apo-ferritin for structural characterization of the formation of sub-nanocluster with reduction reaction. The crystal structure analysis shows the gradual movement of the Au ions towards the centre of the three-fold symmetric channels of the protein cage to form a sub-nanocluster with accompanying significant conformational changes of the amino-acid residues bound to Au ions during the process. These results contribute to our understanding of metal core formation as well as interactions of the metal core with the protein environment.
منابع مشابه
Combination of surface- and interference-enhanced Raman scattering by CuS nanocrystals on nanopatterned Au structures
We present the results of a Raman study of optical phonons in CuS nanocrystals (NCs) with a low areal density fabricated through the Langmuir-Blodgett technology on nanopatterned Au nanocluster arrays using a combination of surface- and interference-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS and IERS, respectively). Micro-Raman spectra of one monolayer of CuS NCs deposited on a bare Si substrate reveal on...
متن کاملAdenine molecule interacting with golden nanocluster: A dispersion corrected DFT study
The interaction between nanoparticles and biomolecules such as protein andDNA is one of the major instructions of nanobiotechnology research. In this study,we have explored the interaction of adenine nucleic base with a representativegolden cluster (Au13) by using dispersion corrected density functional theory(DFT-D3) within GGA-PBE model of theory. Various active sites ...
متن کاملSmall is different: energetic, structural, thermal, and mechanical properties of passivated nanocluster assemblies.
We explore, with the use of extensive molecular dynamics simulations, several principal issues pertaining to the energetics of formation of superlattices made through the assembly of passivated nanoclusters, the interactions that underlie the cohesion of such superlattices, and the unique mechanical, thermal and structural properties that they exhibit. Our investigations focus on assemblies mad...
متن کاملThe role of protein characteristics in the formation and fluorescence of Au nanoclusters.
Protein-encapsulated gold nanoclusters have shown many advantages over other gold nanocluster systems, including green synthesis, biocompatibility, high water solubility, and the ease of further conjugation. In this article, we systematically investigated the effects of the protein size and amino acid content on the formation and fluorescent properties of gold nanoclusters using four model prot...
متن کاملDiameter-controlled synthesis of single-crystal silicon nanowires
Monodisperse silicon nanowires were synthesized by exploiting well-defined gold nanoclusters as catalysts for one-dimensional growth via a vapor–liquid–solid mechanism. Transmission electron microscopy studies of the materials grown from 5, 10, 20, and 30 nm nanocluster catalysts showed that the nanowires had mean diameters of 6, 12, 20, and 31 nm, respectively, and were thus well defined by th...
متن کامل