In this work we addressed the problem how to fabricate self-assembling tubular nanostructures displaying target recognition functionalities. Bacterial flagellar filaments, composed of thousands of flagellin subunits, were used as scaffolds to display single-domain antibodies (nanobodies) on their surface. As a representative example, an anti-GFP nanobody was successfully inserted into the middle part of flagellin replacing the hypervariable surface-exposed D3 domain. A novel procedure was developed to select appropriate linkers required for functional internal insertion. Linkers of various lengths and conformational properties were chosen from a linker database and they were randomly attached to both ends of an anti-GFP nanobody to facilitate insertion. Functional fusion constructs capable of forming filaments on the surface of flagellin-deficient host cells were selected by magnetic microparticles covered by target GFP molecules and appropriate linkers were identified. TEM studies revealed that short filaments of 2–900 nm were formed on the cell surface. ITC and fluorescent measurements demonstrated that the fusion protein exhibited high binding affinity towards GFP. Our approach allows the development of functionalized flagellar nanotubes against a variety of important target molecules offering potential applications in biosensorics and bio-nanotechnology.

Flagellin has the ability to polymerize into long filaments under appropriate conditions. Our work aims at the construction of flagellin-based fusion proteins which possess polymerization ability and preserve the functional properties of the fusion partner as well. The hypervariable D3 domain of Salmonella flagellin, containing residues 190-283, is a good target for genetic engineering studies since it can be extensively modified or removed without disturbing the self-assembling ability. In this work a fusion construct of flagellin and the superfolder mutant of the green fluorescent protein were created by replacing D3 with superfolder green fluorescent protein (GFP). The obtained GFP variant was capable of forming stable, highly fluorescent filamentous assemblies. Our results imply that other proteins (enzymes, binding proteins, etc.) can also be furnished by polymerization ability in a similar way. This approach paves the way for the construction of multifunctional tubular nanostructures.

Flagella, the locomotion organelles of bacteria, extend from the cytoplasm to the cell exterior. External flagellar proteins are synthesized in the cytoplasm and exported by the flagellar type III secretion system. Soluble components of the flagellar export apparatus, FliI, FliH, and FliJ, have been implicated to carry late export substrates in complex with their cognate chaperones from the cytoplasm to the export gate. The importance of the soluble components in the delivery of the three minor late substrates FlgK, FlgL (hook-filament junction) and FliD (filament-cap) has been convincingly demonstrated, but their role in the transport of the major filament component flagellin (FliC) is still unclear. We have used continuous ATPase activity measurements and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) studies to characterize interactions between the soluble export components and flagellin or the FliC:FliS substrate-chaperone complex. As controls, interactions between soluble export component pairs were characterized providing Kd values. FliC or FliC:FliS did not influence the ATPase activity of FliI alone or in complex with FliH and/or FliJ suggesting lack of interaction in solution. Immobilized FliI, FliH, or FliJ did not interact with FliC or FliC:FliS detected by QCM. The lack of interaction in the fluid phase between FliC or FliC:FliS and the soluble export components, in particular with the ATPase FliI, suggests that cells use different mechanisms for the export of late minor substrates, and the major substrate, FliC. It seems that the abundantly produced flagellin does not require the assistance of the soluble export components to efficiently reach the export gate.

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Flagellin, the main component of flagellar filaments, is a protein possessing polymerization ability. In this work a novel fusion construct of xylanase A from B. subtilis and Salmonella flagellin was created which is applicable to build xylan-degrading catalytic nanorods of high stability. The FliC-XynA chimera when overexpressed in a flagellin deficient Salmonella host strain was secreted into the culture medium by the flagellum-specific export machinery allowing easy purification. Filamentous assemblies displaying high surface density of catalytic sites were produced by ammonium-sulfate-induced polymerization. FliC-XynA nanorods were resistant to proteolytic degradation and preserved their enzymatic activity for a long period of time. Furnishing enzymes with self-assembling ability to build catalytic nanorods offers a promising alternative approach to enzyme immobilization onto nanostructured synthetic scaffolds.