title: Structural stability of green fluorescent proteins entrapped in polyelectrolyte nanocapsules.
abstract: Molecules of a green fluorescent protein mutant, GFPmut2, have been immobilized in nanocapsules, assemblies of charged polyelectrolyte multilayers, with the aim to study the effect of protein-polyelectrolyte interactions on the protein stability against chemical denaturation. GFPmut2 proteins turn out to be stabilized and protected against the denaturating action of small chemical compounds. The nanocapsule protective effect on GFPmut2 is likely due to protein interactions with the negatively charged polymers, that induce an increase in the local rigidity of the protein nano-environment. This suggestion is supported by Fluorescence Polarization measurements on GFPmut2 proteins bound to the NC layers.
authors.affiliation: LAMBS, MicroScoBiO Research Center and Department of Physics, University of Genoa, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krol
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cannone
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caccia
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sironi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bianchini
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Campanini
authors.forename: Maddalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Collini
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chirico
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diaspro