Peroxiredoxin Proteins as Building Blocks for Nanotechnology

Abstract

Peroxiredoxins are ubiquitous antioxidant proteins that exhibit a striking variety of quaternary structures, making them appealing building blocks with which nanoscale architectures are created for applications in nanotechnology. The solution environment of the protein, as well as protein sequence, influences the presentation of a particular structure, thereby enabling mesoscopic manipulations that affect arrangments at the nanoscale. This chapter will equip us with the knowledge necessary to not only produce and manipulate peroxiredoxin proteins into desired structures but also to characterize the different structures using dynamic light scattering, analytical centrifugation, and negative stain transmission electron microscopy, thereby setting the stage for us to use these proteins for applications in nanotechnology.

Keywords: Analytical ultracentrifugation; Dynamic light scattering; Nanotechnology; Negative stain; Peroxiredoxin; Protein; Protein engineering; Prx3; Self-assembly; Transmission electron microscopy.