Cucurbituril As A Versatile Tool to Tune the Functions of Proteins

Abstract

Tuning the functions of proteins is a key issue in chemistry and biochemistry. The modification of proteins by chemical or biological methods is proven to be a classical method that allows proteins to achieve multiple functions. Compared with traditional methods, cucurbiturils as a new series of macrocyclic supramolecular hosts have been explored to modify and control protein functions because they could recognize and bind to short aromatic peptide sequences specifically. After guest molecules are incorporated into proteins by chemical and biological methods, CB[n]‐induced supramolecular protein assemblies show distinct functions in catalysis, biosensor and drug delivery. Herein we review the recent progress in the field of functional regulation of proteins with cucurbiturils.

A Sample Preparation Technique Using Biocompatible Composites for Biomedical Applications

“…DNA (100 μL; 0.1 mg/mL) was added to 1 mL of DA (50 mg/mL) or CB–DA (50 mg/mL), and the surface charges of the DA–DNA and CB–DA–DNA mixtures after washing out the free DNA are shown in Figure 5C. The reduction in the surface charge of the CB–DA–DNA indicates that the CB–DA composite is more effective at capturing the nucleic acid, and this effect may be due to the previously reported covalent bonding, physical adsorption, electrostatic interactions, and heterogeneous surface binding intrinsic to supermolecular family members [23,24].…”

Change of the kinetics of inclusion in cucurbit[7]uril upon hydrogenation and methylation of palmatine

“…Kinetic results for 4-methylbenzylammonium ion assembly with cucurbit [6]uril (CB6) demonstrated the existence of both exclusion and inclusion complexes. 57 Nau and coworkers suggested that primary ammonium cations first bind to the portal of CB6 producing an exclusion complex in which the organic moiety is still located in the bulk solvent.…”

“…3,4 The capability of synthetic host compounds to recognize amino acids, peptides, and protein surface elements can be used to modulate the interactions between proteins and to modify the activity of biomolecules. 5,6 Among water-soluble biocompatible hosts, cucurbiturils (CBn) and their acyclic analogues have attracted particular attention due to their remarkable binding capability. [7][8][9][10] The confinement in this type of molecular container improved the solubility, stability and bioactivity of guest molecules, [11][12][13][14] which can be exploited to develop novel drug formulations.…”

“…31 Although activation parameters provide unique information on the transition state and the energy barrier of reversible host-guest binding, very few such data have been reported. Despite its moderate binding affinity, cyclohexanediammonium produced a kinetically extraordinarily stable complex with cucurbit [6]uril (CB6) because the sterically strongly hindered dissociation had an activation enthalpy 32 as high as 125.5 kJ mol À1 . The slow exchange of 4-methylbenzylammonium 33 and cyclohexylmethylammonium 34 cations in CB6 allowed kinetic measurements by NMR spectroscopy.…”

Cucurbit[8]uril‐Based Polymers and Polymer Materials

“…Dendrimers and proteins have be reported as building blocks for the construction of supramolecular polymers by other host–guest interactions. Wang and Kaifer reported that viologen‐containing dendrimers could be efficiently dimerized by one‐electron reduction in the presence of a CB[8] host .…”