How Pore Architecture Regulates the Function of Nanoscale Protein Compartments

Self-assembling proteins can form porous compartments that adopt well-defined architectures at the nanoscale. In nature, protein compartments act as semipermeable barriers to enable spatial separation and organization of complex biochemical processes. The compartment pores play a key role in their overall function by selectively controlling the influx and efflux of important biomolecular species. By engineering the pores, the functionality of compartments can be tuned to facilitate non-native applications, such as artificial nanoreactors for catalysis. In this review, we analyze how protein structure determines the porosity and impacts the function of both native and engineered compartments, highlighting the wealth of structural data recently obtained by cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography. Through this analysis, we offer perspectives on how current structural insights can inform future studies into the design of artificial protein compartments as nanoreactors with tunable porosity and function.

Automated summary

Self-assembling proteins can form well-defined architectures at the nanoscale, acting as semipermeable barriers for spatial separation and organization of biochemical processes. Engineering the structure of protein compartments allows for tuning their functionality, enabling non-native applications such as artificial nanoreactors. This review provides insights into how protein structure determines the porosity and function of compartments, with a focus on recent structural data obtained by cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography. The authors suggest that these structural insights can guide the design of artificial protein compartments with tunable porosity and function.