The assemblage of protein multilayers induced by molecular recognition, as seen, for example, in the immune cascade, has been mimicked by using streptavidin as a docking matrix. For these experiments, this protein matrix was organized on liposomes, monolayers at the air-water interface, and self-assembled layers on gold, all three containing biotin lipids. The docking of streptavidin to biotin at liposomal surfaces was confirmed by circular dichroism. Mixed double and triple layers of streptavidin, concanavalin A, antibody Fab fragments, and hormones are prepared at the air-water interface and on gold surfaces and were characterized by fluorescence microscopy and plasmon spectroscopy. With the use of biotin analogs that have lower binding constants it has been possible to achieve multiple formation and competitive replacement of the oriented protein assemblages.

The interplay between molecular self-organization and molecular recognition leads to the construction of functional supramolecular systems in which order and mobility are combined and whose function is based on their organization. These fascinating phenomena, for which the living cell is a perfect example, can be understood only if a wide range of scientific disciplines work together. For this purpose, synthetic supramolecular systems can be used to simulate natural biomembrane processes. One example of this is the specific recognition and interaction between membrane-bound ligands and receptor proteins. Thus, the specific interaction of vitamin H (biotin) with the tetrafunctional protein streptavidin in the monolayer leads to 2D crystallization of the protein. Structural analysis shows that the protein is attached to the lipid membrane by two biotin-binding sites, leaving two still free. The opportunity this allows for biotinylated molecules to dock to the protein leads to interesting possibilities for constructing protein-containing functional multilayers. Another example for the simulation of biomembrane processes is the function of enzymes which is coupled to the recognition process. In the interaction of phospholipase A, with lecithin monolayers, specific recognition between enzyme and substrate is followed by an active phase of lipid cleavage and then by aggregation of the enzyme to give domains of regular morphology. Fluorescence microscopy can be used to follow this process directly: an enzyme caught in action. Der Witz ist der Finder und der Verstand der Beobachter.

The strength of receptor-mediated cell adhesion is directly controlled by the mechanism of cohesive failure between the cell surface and underlying substrate. Unbinding can occur either at the locus of the specific bond or within the bilayer, which results in tearing the hydrophobic anchors from the membrane interior. In this work, the surface force apparatus has been used to investigate the relationship between the receptor-ligand bond affinities and the dominant mechanism of receptor-coupled membrane detachment. The receptors and ligands used in this study were membrane-bound streptavidin and biotin analogs, respectively, with solution affinities ranging over 10 orders of magnitude. With the optical technique of the surface force apparatus, the occurrence of membrane rupture was directly visualized in situ. The latter observations together with measurements of the corresponding intermembrane adhesive strengths were used to identify the dominant failure pathway for each streptavidin-analog pair. Even in cases where the membrane pull-out energy exceeded the equilibrium bond energy, cohesive failure occurred within the membrane interior at nearly all bond affinities considered. These results are consistent with previous findings and provide direct support for the commonly held view that, under nonequilibrium conditions of applied external stress, the gradient of the bond energy, not the equilibrium bond energy alone, determines the adhesive strength. Furthermore, our findings directly demonstrate that, in the presence of competing failure mechanisms, the preferred detachment mechanism- hence, the adhesive strength-will be determined by the bond that exhibits the weakest tensile strength. Because the tensile strength is determined by the gradient of the unbinding energy, the critical detachment force will be determined by both the bond energy and the effective bond length.

The surface forces apparatus was used to identify the molecular forces that control the interactions of monoclonal 4-4-20 antifluorescyl IgG Fab' fragments with fluorescein-presenting supported planar bilayers. At long range, the electrostatic force between oriented Fab' and fluorescein monolayers was controlled by the composition of the protein exterior surrounding the antigen-combining site rather than by the overall protein charge. The measured positive electrostatic potential of the Fab' monolayer at pH > pI(Fab') was consistent with the structure of the exposed Fab' surface in which a ring of positive charge at the mouth of the antigen-combining site dominates the local electrostatic surface properties. Substantial differences in the electrostatic forces measured with denatured Fab' further demonstrated that the measured electrostatic surface properties and the consequent long-range interaction forces are controlled by the protein surface composition. At short range, the strength of the Fab'-mediated adhesion was modulated not only by the length of the fluorescein tether but also by membrane hydration. Steric hydration barriers at the membrane surface reduced the adhesion strength in proportion to their range of influence. These results provide direct evidence that long-range protein interactions with immobilized ligands are controlled by both the protein and the membrane surface compositions, while short-range, specific binding is modulated by both the protein structure and the membrane interfacial properties.

Antifluorescyl IgG antibody and Fab binding to two fluorescein-conjugated lipids was measured using the quartz crystal microbalance methodology. By use of the Langmuir-Blodgett technique, the fluorescein lipids, which were diluted to 5% in a L-alpha-dipalmitoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE) matrix, were deposited directly onto one gold electrode of the quartz crystal. Binding to films containing the fluorescein hapten was significantly enhanced compared to films of the pure DPPE matrix lipid, indicating that binding occurred primarily through a specific interaction. Association constants were 40-300 times less than for binding to haptens free in solution. Binding of IgG to the lipid in which the hydrocarbon chains and the fluorescein hapten were linked via a hydrophilic spacer was approximately 7 times as great as to the lipid containing no spacer. IgG binding to the lipid containing the spacer was increased 1.5-4.4 times compared to Fab binding for the same lipid. Equilibrium binding curves and kinetic measurements are analyzed quantitatively and compared.

Abstract:The development of functional supramolecular devices built by self-asscmbly of elementary molecules and with bioactive properties arouses considerable interest in the field of nanotechnology and new materials. Wc rcport hcrc thc formation of a new class of lipid tubules exhibiting both properties of molecular recognition and crystal forination for the protein streptavidin. These lipid tubules, made of biotin-containing dioctadecylamine molecules, are straight hollow cylinders with a constant diameter of 27 nm and variable length up to several micrometers. Thcy are unilamellar with an inner diameter of about 16 nm, as shown by cryoelectron Keywords helical structures * lipids * liposomes * self-assembly * tubule!; microscopy. Streptavidin binds to the biotinylated tubules and assembles spontaneously into ordered hclical arrays at the tube surface. These crystals exhibit regular order up to about 1.5 nm resolution. In addition, the helical streptavidin arrays act as functionalized supramolecular devices that bind a wide variety of biotinylated objects, as demonstrated here with proteins and liposomes.

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