Team:FAU Erlangen

Paving the Way for Biocatalytically Active Protein Membranes

The idea of this project is the improvement of biocatalytic properties of enzyme cascades using surface-layer (S-layer) proteins. S-layers are prokaryotic protein membranes which assemble into two-dimensional lattices with different symmetries. As components of a model system, the S-layer proteins SbsB (p1, Geobacillus stearothermophilus), PS2 (p2, Corynebacterium glutamicum) and RsaA (p3, Caulobacter crescentus) were isolated. In solution these S-layer proteins arrange into three-dimensional nanostructures. Cluster formation of S-layer proteins was examined by mixing different symmetries (p1, p2 and p3). Structure formation was considered with Monte-Carlo Markov chain simulations. To explore novel potential applications, S-layer proteins were conjugated with Streptavidin. Thus, various biotinylated fluorescence markers can be applied for FRET analysis. This can serve as model system for S-layer conjugates with biocatalysts.