title: Silicatein: nanobiotechnological and biomedical applications.
abstract: Silica-based materials are used in many high-tech products including microelectronics, optoelectronics, and catalysts. Siliceous sponges (Demospongiae and Hexactinellida) are unique in their ability to synthesize silica enzymatically. We have cloned the silica-forming enzymes, silicateins, from both demosponges (marine and freshwater sponges) and hexactinellid sponges. The recombinant enzymes allow the synthesis of silica under environmentally benign ambient conditions, while the technical (chemical) production of silica commonly requires high temperatures and pressures, and extremes of pH. Silicateins can be used for the fabrication of highly-ordered inorganic-organic composite materials with defined optical, electrical, and mechanical properties. The simple self-assembly properties of silicateins which are able to form silica and other metal oxides in aqueous solution allow the development of novel products in nano(bio)technology, medicine, and dentistry.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Abteilung Angewandte Molekularbiologie Universität, Duesbergweg 6, Mainz D-55099, Germany. hschroed@uni-mainz.de
authors.forename: Heinz C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schlossmacher
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boreiko
authors.forename: Filipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Natalio
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baranowska
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tremel
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiens
authors.forename: Werner E G
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D020811:Biomedical Technology / Q000379:methods*; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000737:chemistry; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000737:chemistry*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D008958:Models, Molecular; D053770:Nanowires / Q000737:chemistry; D055100:Optical Fibers; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry; D015040:Zirconium / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D018786:Bone Substitutes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C009495:titanium dioxide; D015040:Zirconium; D014025:Titanium; D002403:Cathepsins; C028541:zirconium oxide