Tuesday, 16 November, 2010
Controlling the Structure of Proteins at Surfaces
M. Geisler, S. Xiao, E. M. Puchner, F. Gräter, and T. Hugel -
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 132 (48), pp. 1727717281 (2010)
With the help of single molecule force spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations, we determine the surface-induced structure of a single engineered spider silk protein. An amyloid like structure is induced in the vicinity of a surface with high surface energy and can be prohibited in the presence of a hydrophobic surface. The derived molecular energy landscapes highlight the role of single silk protein structure for the macroscopic toughness of spider silk.