Inside a Shell–Organometallic Catalysis Inside Encapsulin Nanoreactors

Read the full article here: Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 10.1002/anie.202110327 (2021)

by P. Lohner, M. Zmyslia, J. Thurn, J. K. Pape, R. Gerasimaite, J. Keller-Findeisen, S. Groeer, B. Deuringer, R. Süss, A. Walther, S. W. Hell, G. Lukinavicius, T. Hugel, and C. Jessen-Trefzer

Compartmentalization of chemical reactions inside cellsare a fundamental requirement for life. Encapsulins are self-assembling protein-based nanocompartments from the prokaryotic repertoire that present a highly attractive platform for intracellular compartmentalization of chemical reactionsby design. Using smFRET and 3D-MINFLUX analysis,we analyze fluorescently-labeled encapsulins on a single molecule basis. Furthermore, by equipping these capsules with a synthetic ruthenium catalyst viacovalent attachment to a non-native host protein, we are able to perform in vitrocatalysis and go on to show that engineered encapsulins can be used as hosts for transition metal catalysis inside living cellsin confined space.