title: Ferritin family proteins and their use in bionanotechnology.
abstract: Ferritin family proteins are found in all kingdoms of life and act to store iron within a protein cage and to protect the cell from oxidative damage caused by the Fenton reaction. The structural and biochemical features of the ferritins have been widely exploited in bionanotechnology applications: from the production of metal nanoparticles; as templates for semi-conductor production; and as scaffolds for vaccine design and drug delivery. In this review we first discuss the structural properties of the main ferritin family proteins, and describe how their organisation specifies their functions. Second, we describe materials science applications of ferritins that rely on their ability to sequester metal within their cavities. Finally, we explore the use of ferritin as a container for drug delivery and as a scaffold for the production of vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Didi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Jon.marles-wright@ed.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marles-Wright
mesh_terms: D001709:Biotechnology / Q000639:trends; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D005293:Ferritins / Q000737:chemistry*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D005293:Ferritins