Thermosome Research Articles

Chaperonin-Dendrimer Conjugates for siRNA Delivery.

The group II chaperonin thermosome (THS) is a hollow protein nanoparticle that can encapsulate macromolecular guests. Two large pores grant access to the interior of the protein cage. Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) is conjugated into THS to act as an anchor for small interfering RNA (siRNA), allowing to load the THS with therapeutic payload. THS–PAMAM protects siRNA from degradation by RNase A and traffics KIF11 and GAPDH siRNA into U87 cancer cells. By modification of the protein cage with the cell‐penetrating peptide TAT, RNA interference is also induced in PC‐3 cells. THS–PAMAM protein–polymer conjugates are therefore promising siRNA transfection reagents and greatly expand the scope of protein cages in drug delivery applications.

Using the dendritic polymer PAMAM to form gold nanoparticles in the protein cage thermosome.

The chaperonin thermosome (THS) is a protein cage that lacks binding sites for metal ions and inorganic nanoparticles. However, when poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) is encapsulated into THS, gold nanoparticles (AuNP) can be prepared in the THS. The polymer binds HAuCl4. Subsequent reduction yields nanoparticles with narrow size distribution in the protein-polymer conjugate.

A Chaperonin as Protein Nanoreactor for Atom‐Transfer Radical Polymerization

The group II chaperonin thermosome (THS) from the archaea Thermoplasma acidophilum is reported as nanoreactor for atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). A copper catalyst was entrapped into the THS to confine the polymerization into this protein cage. THS possesses pores that are wide enough to release polymers into solution. The nanoreactor favorably influenced the polymerization of N-isopropyl acrylamide and poly(ethylene glycol)methylether acrylate. Narrowly dispersed polymers with polydispersity indices (PDIs) down to 1.06 were obtained in the protein nanoreactor, while control reactions with a globular protein-catalyst conjugate only yielded polymers with PDIs above 1.84.