Development of novel nanoreactor system utilizing molecularly crowded nano-compartments

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25620124
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Bio-related chemistry
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: AKIHIRO Kishimura 九州大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (70422326)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: ポリイオンコンプレックス / ベシクル / 酵素 / ナノリアクター / ナノコンパートメント / タンパク質デリバリー / 分子クラウディング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this research, we tried to develop novel type of nano-reactors to enhance enzyme properties, such as activity, life-time, stability, and so on. For this purpose, we exploited our original nano-compartments, PICsomes, which can be prepared in the aqueous media and encapsulate proteins inside based on a moderate loading method. Firstly, we succeeded in encapsulation of enzymes together with specific amount of macromolecular crowding reagents, dextrans. Furthermore, we found the stability enhancement of enzymes after encapsulation into nano-compartments. Also, enzymatic activity was preserved even after freezing of enzymatic nano-reactors, when macromolecular crowding reagents were co-encapsulated. Thus, we demonstrated potential utility of molecularly crowded nano-compartments for developing advanced and practically useful enzymatic nano-reactors.

Free Research Field

超分子・高分子化学、有機機能材料学