title: Role of hexahistidine in directed nanoassemblies of tobacco mosaic virus coat protein.
abstract: A common challenge in nanotechnology is the fabrication of materials with well-defined nanoscale structure and properties. Here we report that a genetically engineered tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) coat protein (CP), to which a hexahistidine (His) tag was incorporated, can self-assemble into disks, hexagonally packed arrays of disks, stacked disks, helical rods, fibers, and elongated rafts. The insertion of a His tag to the C-terminus of TMV-CP was shown to significantly affect the self-assembly in comparison to the wild type, WT-TMV-CP. Furthermore, the His tag interactions attributed to the alternative self-assembly of His-TMV-CP can be controlled through ethanol and nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) additions as monitored with atomic force microscopy.
authors.affiliation: Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20375, United States.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bruckman
authors.forename: Carissa M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Soto
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McDowell
authors.forename: Jinny L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Banahalli R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Ratna
authors.forename: Katalin V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Korpany
authors.forename: Omar K
authors.initials: OK
authors.lastname: Zahr
authors.forename: Amy Szuchmacher
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Blum
mesh_terms: D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D006639:Histidine / Q000737:chemistry*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D015202:Protein Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; C471213:His-His-His-His-His-His; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D009842:Oligopeptides; C083292:coat protein, Tobacco necrosis virus (Nebraska); D006639:Histidine