In Situ Absorption and Fluorescence Microspectroscopy Investigation of the Molecular Incorporation Process into Single Nanoporous Protein Crystals

Protein crystals exhibit distinct three-dimensional structures, which contain well-ordered nanoporous solvent channels, providing a chemically heterogeneous environment. In this paper, the incorporation of various molecules into the solvent channels of native hen egg-white lysozyme crystals was demonstrated using fluorescent dyes, including acridine yellow G, rhodamine 6G, and eosin Y. The process was evaluated on the basis of absorption and fluorescence microspectroscopy at a single-crystal level. The molecular loading process was clearly visualized as a function of time, and it was determined that the protein crystals could act as nanoporous materials. It was found that the incorporation process is strongly dependent on the molecular charge, leading to heterogeneous molecular aggregation, which suggests host–guest interaction of protein crystals from the viewpoint of nanoporous materials.