title: Targeted binding of the M13 bacteriophage to thiamethoxam organic crystals.
abstract: Phage display screening with a combinatorial library was used to identify M13-type bacteriophages that express peptides with selective binding to organic crystals of thiamethoxam. The six most strongly binding phages exhibit at least 1000 times the binding affinity of wild-type M13 and express heptapeptide sequences that are rich in hydrophobic, hydrogen-bonding amino acids and proline. Among the peptide sequences identified, M13 displaying the pIII domain heptapeptide ASTLPKA exhibits the strongest binding to thiamethoxam in competitive binding assays. Electron and confocal microscopy confirm the specific binding affinity of ASTLPKA to thiamethoxam. Using atomic force microscope (AFM) probes functionalized with ASTLPKA expressing phage, we found that the average adhesion force between the bacteriophage and a thiamethoxam surface is 1.47 ± 0.80 nN whereas the adhesion force of wild-type M13KE phage is 0.18 ± 0.07 nN. Such a strongly binding bacteriophage could be used to modify the surface chemistry of thiamethoxam crystals and other organic solids with a high degree of specificity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Center for Molecular and Engineering Thermodynamics, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA.
authors.forename: Whirang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Jeffrey D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.forename: Eric M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Furst
mesh_terms: D000269:Adhesives / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017104:Bacteriophage M13 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D003102:Colloids; D000073943:Neonicotinoids; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010078:Oxazines / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D019151:Peptide Library; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D000077922:Thiamethoxam; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000269:Adhesives; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D003102:Colloids; D000073943:Neonicotinoids; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D010078:Oxazines; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D019151:Peptide Library; D013844:Thiazoles; D000077922:Thiamethoxam