Controlling amyloid fibril formation by partial stirring.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Protein Self-Assembly
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Proteins can self-assemble into amyloid fibrils, with spherulites forming as related structures.
• Controlling the ratio of amyloid fibrils to spherulites is crucial for material properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a facile method for controlling the balance between amyloid fibrils and spherulites.
• To enable the preparation of non-covalently functionalized amyloid fibrils.
• To create aligned protein fibril films with specific optical properties.

Main Methods:

• Stirring the reaction mixture during the initial stages of protein self-assembly.
• Modulating stirring duration (continuous vs. limited) during the lag phase.
• Incorporating the laser dye Nile red into aligned protein fibril films.

Main Results:

• The balance between amyloid fibrils and spherulites was successfully controlled via stirring.
• Fibril length and liquid crystalline phase propensity were influenced by stirring.
• Aligned protein fibril films incorporating Nile red were prepared.
• The resulting films exhibited polarized Nile red fluorescence.

Conclusions:

• Stirring is a facile method to control protein self-assembly pathways.
• This method allows for tunable fibril length and functionalization.
• Aligned protein fibril films with polarized fluorescence can be fabricated for optical applications.