A natural biogenic nanozyme for scavenging superoxide radicals

Long Ma, Jia-Jia Zheng, Ning Zhou, Ruofei Zhang, Long Fang, Yili Yang, Xingfa Gao, Chunying Chen, Xiyun Yan () and Kelong Fan ()
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Long Ma: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jia-Jia Zheng: National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China
Ning Zhou: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ruofei Zhang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Long Fang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yili Yang: International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
Xingfa Gao: National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China
Chunying Chen: National Center for Nanoscience and Technology
Xiyun Yan: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Kelong Fan: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-17

Abstract: Abstract Biominerals, the inorganic minerals of organisms, are known mainly for their physical property-related functions in modern living organisms. Our recent discovery of the enzyme-like activities of nanomaterials, coined as nanozyme, inspires the hypothesis that nano-biominerals might function as enzyme-like catalyzers in cells. Here we report that the iron cores of biogenic ferritins act as natural nanozymes to scavenge superoxide radicals. Through analyzing eighteen representative ferritins from three living kingdoms, we find that the iron core of prokaryote ferritin possesses higher superoxide-diminishing activity than that of eukaryotes. Further investigation reveals that the differences in catalytic capability result from the iron/phosphate ratio changes in the iron core, which is mainly determined by the structures of ferritins. The phosphate in the iron core switches the iron core from single crystalline to amorphous iron phosphate-like structure, resulting in decreased affinity to the hydrogen proton of the ferrihydrite-like core that facilitates its reaction with superoxide in a manner different from that of ferric ions. Furthermore, overexpression of ferritins with high superoxide-diminishing activities in E. coli increases the resistance to superoxide, whereas bacterioferritin knockout or human ferritin knock-in diminishes free radical tolerance, highlighting the physiological antioxidant role of this type of nanozymes.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44463-w

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