Bionanotechnology seeks to modify and design new biopolymers and their applications and uses biological systems as cell factories for the production of nanomaterials. Molecular self-assembly as the main organizing principle of biological systems is also the driving force for the assembly of artificial bionanomaterials. Protein domains and peptides are particularly attractive as building blocks because of their ability to form complex three-dimensional assemblies from a combination of at least two oligomerization domains that have the oligomerization state of at least two and three respectively. In the present paper, we review the application of polypeptide-based material for the formation of material with nanometre-scale pores that can be used for the separation. Use of antiparallel coiled-coil dimerization domains introduces the possibility of modulation of pore size and chemical properties. Assembly or disassembly of bionanomaterials can be regulated by an external signal as demonstrated by the coumermycin-induced dimerization of the gyrase B domain which triggers the formation of polypeptide assembly.
COBISS.SI-ID: 5025306
A set of pairs of parallel coiled-coil-forming peptides was designed and tested. The design based on maximizing the difference in stability between the desired pairs and the most stable unwanted pairs. We used Nterminal helixinitiator residues, favorable combinations of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, and a negative design based on burial of Asn residues. The 36 pair combinations of the eight peptides were analysed by CD. Each peptide formed a high level of alphahelical structure exclusively in combination with its designed partner confirming the orthogonality of peptide pairs.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4534810
The invention describes a preparation of self-assembling nanostructures and a process for preparation of self-assembling nanostructures from polypeptides which are composed of at least three segments forming a coiled helix, which are assembling themselves into one sole polypeptide chain in a defined sequence which enables the composing into defined nano-cages or nano-nets. Nanostructures can be assembled from one sole polypeptide chain, yet which is composed of three, four or six segments forming coiled helices and are stacked into nano-cages, nano-nets or nano- tubes.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4381210
The invention represents a polypeptide material with adaptable pore properties, prepared by two- or three-dimensional combining of fusion proteins composed of at least two protein domains, where at least one domain is forming a coiled helix and at least one domain is a protein oligomerization domain. The invention relates to a polypeptide material which can be used in applications such as chemical catalysis and separation of molecules on the basis of their properties.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4382234
We studied the possibility of surface functionalization with bioactive peptides for application in medicine. The model substrate was surface coated to enable binding of the model peptide with antimicrobial activity. The surface obtained in such a way exhibited biocidic activity and reduced the concentration of the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli for more than five orders of magnitude. Surface coatings with antimicrobial activity are applicable in medical devices, such as catheters and implants, for prevention of microbial biofilm formation, which causes severe infections.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4471578