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Layer-by-layer assembly of bioengineered flagella protein nanotubes
Mudalige Thilak Kumara1, Brian C Tripp, Subra Muralidharan
1Department of Chemistry and Nanotechnology Research and Computation Center, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008-5413, USA.
Biomacromolecules
|November 6, 2007
Summary
Bioengineered E. coli flagella nanotubes self-assemble layer-by-layer on surfaces. These protein bionanotubes show potential for biomineralization and create uniform layers via electrostatic attraction.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Bacterial flagella are protein structures with potential for bioengineering.
- Self-assembly is a key process in nanotechnology for creating ordered structures.
- Controlled surface modification is crucial for fabricating functional nanomaterials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To bioengineer E. coli flagella nanotubes to display specific peptide loops.
- To investigate the layer-by-layer self-assembly of these engineered flagella on different surfaces.
- To compare assembly methods and explore applications like biomineralization.
Main Methods:
- Bioengineering of E. coli flagella with arginine-lysine and glutamic acid-aspartic acid peptide loops.
- Atomic force microscopy (AFM) to observe layer-by-layer self-assembly.
- Utilizing biotin-streptavidin interaction and electrostatic attraction for surface assembly.
- Silanization of quartz surfaces and chemical modification with polyethyleneoxide spacers.
Main Results:
- Engineered flagella nanotubes self-assembled layer-by-layer on gold-coated mica and quartz surfaces.
- Biotin-streptavidin interaction enabled bottom-up assembly of arginine-lysine flagella.
- Electrostatic attraction facilitated assembly of glutamic acid-aspartic acid flagella, yielding more uniform layers.
- Demonstrated biomineralization of CaCO3 using self-assembled glutamic acid-aspartic acid flagella.
Conclusions:
- Bioengineered flagella nanotubes can be controllably self-assembled on surfaces.
- Electrostatic attraction offers a more uniform layer-by-layer assembly method compared to biotin-streptavidin.
- These self-assembled flagella structures have potential applications in biomineralization and advanced materials.
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