Biomolecular templating of functional hybrid nanostructures using repeat protein scaffolds

Abstract

The precise synthesis of materials and devices with tailored complex structures and properties is a requisite for the development of the next generation of products based on nanotechnology. Nowadays, the technology for the generation of this type of devices lacks the precision to determine their properties and is accomplished mostly by 'trial and error' experimental approaches. The use of bottom-up approaches that rely on highly specific biomolecular interactions of small and simple components is an attractive approach for the templating of nanoscale elements. In nature, protein assemblies define complex structures and functions. Engineering novel bio-inspired assemblies by exploiting the same rules and interactions that encode the natural diversity is an emerging field that opens the door to create nanostructures with numerous potential applications in synthetic biology and nanotechnology. Self-assembly of biological molecules into defined functional structures has a tremendous potential in nano-patterning and the design of novel materials and functional devices. Molecular self-assembly is a process by which complex 3D structures with specified functions are constructed from simple molecular building blocks. Here we discuss the basis of biomolecular templating, the great potential of repeat proteins as building blocks for biomolecular templating and nano-patterning. In particular, we focus on the designed consensus tetratricopeptide repeats (CTPRs), the control on the assembly of these proteins into higher order structures and their potential as building blocks in order to generate functional nanostructures and materials.

Assembly of designed protein scaffolds into monolayers for nanoparticle patterning

“…In particular, the use of designed repeat proteins as the building blocks for fabrication and patterning provides several advantages. [22] Repeat proteins present a modular structure defined by local repeated interactions and are composed of tandem arrays of the same small structural motif. [23,24] Their simple architecture makes easier to understand the basic rules that relate sequence to structure for these repeated modules and make them ideal molecular building blocks.…”

Biocatalytic Protein‐Based Materials for Integration into Energy Devices

“…CTPRs have a modular structure, in which the repeats can be combined in tandem to form highly stable CTPR proteins that display a right‐handed superhelical structure, with eight repeats per full turn of the superhelix . These features make these repeat protein scaffolds ideal building blocks for numerous applications, as previously demonstrated through the fabrication of functional protein‐based materials . Similarly, we hypothesize that materials based on CTPR proteins will be applicable for the ordered entrapment and immobilization of enzymes toward the generation of novel heterogeneous biocatalysts that can be readily integrated into devices.…”

Designed Repeat Proteins as Building Blocks for Nanofabrication

“…Their structures are modular which simplifies the design problems to the level of simple units and the interactions between the neighboring units are local and predictable. Thus, each repeat unit can be used as a building block with individually engineered properties (stability, function, and interactions between modules) in order to generate the designed proteins and higher order assemblies [29][30][31]. Because the repeat protein is a simplified system, it is possible to control how protein sequence-structure-function relate in this kind of proteins.…”