Protein PEGylation: Navigating Recombinant Protein Stability, Aggregation, and Bioactivity
Lindiwe Zuma, Nothando Lovedale Gasa, Xolani Henry Makhoba, Ofentse Jacob Pooe
Abstract
Enzymes play a powerful role as catalysts with high specificity and activity under mild environmental conditions. Significant hurdles, such as reduced solubility, reduced shelf-life, aggregate formation, and toxicity, are still ongoing struggles that scientists come across when purifying recombinant proteins. Over the past three decades, PEGylation techniques have been utilized to significantly overcome low solubility; increased protein stability, shelf-life, and bioactivity; and prevented protein aggregate formation. This review seeks to highlight the impact of PEG-based formulations that are significantly utilized to obtain favourable protein physiochemical properties. The authors further discuss other techniques that can be employed such as coexpression studies and nanotechnology-based skills to obtaining favourable protein physiochemical properties.