Scientists have developed enzymes with remote control

Scientists have developed a method to improve enzyme activity using high frequency radiation. The method requires a special complex of enzymes and magnetic nanoparticles. The particles can adsorb radio emissions and convert them into heat, resulting in an acceleration of enzymatic processes of more than four times. The method can be used to create radio-controlled biochemical systems and adjust the metabolism of living organisms. The results are published in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering.

Enzymes participate in various reactions in living organisms and their effectiveness depends on various conditions. Although enzymatic activity is generally chemically controlled, researchers at the ITMO University have shown that it is possible to do this remotely using physical methods such as radio frequency.

To manufacture radio-controlled enzymes, scientists have synthesized a special complex in which an enzyme is enclosed in a rigid porous framework consisting of magnetite nanoparticles. Whenever the radio field is applied, the nanoparticles adsorb radio emissions and heat up, transmitting additional energy to the enzyme and causing an acceleration of the enzymatic reaction rate. An experiment conducted on a model enzyme, carbonic anhydrase, showed that the reaction rate could be increased more than four times.

"There are very few studies on the manipulation of enzymes by radio waves.We were the first to increase the activity of a non-thermostable enzyme.As a rule, these enzymes change the conformation. At high temperature, then stop functioning – the rigid armature of the nanoparticles, the enzyme is stabilized by structural rearrangements because the nanoparticles mechanically limit the mobility of the enzyme, "says Andrey Drozdov, a member of the University's SCAMT laboratory. ITMO.

There are two key parameters among the benefits of the radio broadcast used in the job. Such radio waves can easily pass through tissues and are harmless. Thus, using the radio frequency field, researchers can control the activity of enzymes in the body and adjust cell metabolism. In the near future, scientists plan to try this method on other enzymes to try to influence the vital activity of bacteria or cells.

As this subject has a lot of potential, future work will focus on the use of the technique with other enzymes, as well as in living cells. For example, it is still not known whether it is possible to divide bacteria or cells more often or, conversely, to stop their division.

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More information:
Yulia I. Andreeva et al, Enzyme nanocomposites with radio-frequency modulated activity, ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering (2018). DOI: 10.1021 / acsbiomaterials.8b00838