title: Multivalent nanofibers of a controlled length: regulation of bacterial cell agglutination.
abstract: Control of the size and shape of molecular assemblies on the nanometer scale in aqueous solutions is very important for the regulation of biological functions. Among the well-defined supramolecular structures of organic amphiphiles, one-dimensional nanofibers have attracted much attention because of their potential applications in biocompatible materials. Although much progress has been made in the field of self-assembled nanofibers, the ability to control the fiber length remains limited. The approach for control of the fiber length presented herein overcomes this limitation through the coassembly of amphiphilic rod-coil molecules in which the crystallinity of the aromatic segment can be regulated by π-π stacking interactions. The introduction of carbohydrate segments into the fiber exterior endows the nanofibers with the ability to adhere to bacterial cells. Notably, the fiber length systematically regulates the agglutination and proliferation of bacterial cells exposed to these fibers.
authors.affiliation: Center for Bio-Responsive Assembly and Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-747, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Woo
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Taehoon
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Il-Soo
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Zhegang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Myongsoo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000371:Agglutination; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000737:chemistry; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000166:cytology*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates