Bilayer Fibril Formation by Genetically Engineered Polypeptides: Preparation and Characterization

Abstract

A de novo, genetically engineered 687 residue polypeptide expressed in E. coli has been found to form highly rectilinear, β-sheet containing fibrillar structures. Tapping-mode atomic force microscopy, deep-UV Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy definitively established the tendency of the fibrils to predominantly display an apparently planar bilayer or ribbon assemblage. The ordered self-assembly of designed, extremely repetitive, high molecular weight peptides is a harbinger of the utility of similar materials in nanoscience and engineering applications.