Photodegradable Nanoparticles for Functional Analysis of Intracellular Protein

Abstract

There are two major shortcomings when using proteins for biotechnological applications: (1) low protein stability and (2) difficulty in controlling protein function. A possible solution to these problems may be in the use of nanoparticles to encapsulate proteins. Protein encapsulation can increase protein stability by hindering interactions between proteins and the external environment. Moreover, protein function will be suppressed when proteins are encapsulated, and function can be restored when the encapsulated proteins are released by nanoparticle degradation. This attribute of protein-containing nanoparticles allows for the spatiotemporal control of protein function, which is useful in basic research, as well as in various industrial and medical fields. In this review, we will introduce our recent achievements in development of protein-containing nanoparticles that releasing protein by light signal.