Bacterial Surface Layer Proteins: a Simple but Versatile Biological Self-assembly System in Nature

摘要: “Self-assembly” is the key word for bottom-up fabrication of molecular biomaterials. Nevertheless, it requires deep understanding structure and function individual building blocks in order to build uniform, ultrasmall functional units. “Key–lock” mechanisms based on matching structural details surface chemical groups bind together determine their correct assembly. Most often, weak noncovalent forces are involved. Among well-established self-assembly systems, such as DNA lattices junctions [48, 47] self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) [26, 60], two-dimensional bacterial layer proteins (S-layer proteins) represent highly versatile assembly systems with unique features. The latter constitute basis a complete supramolecular construction kit involving all major species biological macromolecules (proteins, lipids, glycans, nucleic acids) (for review, see [56, 57, 52]).