Encapsulation of Semiconducting Polymers in Vault Protein Cages

Benny C. Ng†, Marcella Yu‡, Ajaykumar Gopal†, Leonard H. Rome§, Harold G. Monbouquette‡ and Sarah H. Tolbert†*
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, California NanoSystems Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095
Nano Lett., 2008, 8 (10), pp 3503–3509
DOI: 10.1021/nl080537r
Publication Date (Web): September 20, 2008
Copyright © 2008 American Chemical Society
†

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

,

California NanoSystems Institute.

,
‡

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department.

,
§

Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine.

,
* Corresponding author. E-mail: tolbert@chem.ucla.edu.

Abstract

Abstract Image

We demonstrate that a semiconducting polymer [poly(2-methoxy-5-propyloxy sulfonate phenylene vinylene), MPS-PPV] can be encapsulated inside recombinant, self-assembling protein nanocapsules called “vaults”. Polymer incorporation into these nanosized protein cages, found naturally at 10,000 copies per human cell, was confirmed by fluorescence spectroscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering. Although vault cellular functions and gating mechanisms remain unknown, their large internal volume and natural prevalence within the human body suggests they could be used as carriers for therapeutics and medical imaging reagents. This study provides the groundwork for the use of vaults in encapsulation and delivery applications.

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History

  • Published In Issue October 08, 2008
  • Article ASAPSeptember 20, 2008
  • Received: February 22, 2008
    Revised: August 11, 2008

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