title: Selective transport control on molecular velcro made from intrinsically disordered proteins.
abstract: The selectivity and speed of many biological transport processes transpire from a 'reduction of dimensionality' that confines diffusion to one or two dimensions instead of three. This behaviour remains highly sought after on polymeric surfaces as a means to expedite diffusional search processes in molecular engineered systems. Here, we have reconstituted the two-dimensional diffusion of colloidal particles on a molecular brush surface. The surface is composed of phenylalanine-glycine nucleoporins (FG Nups)--intrinsically disordered proteins that facilitate selective transport through nuclear pore complexes in eukaryotic cells. Local and ensemble-level experiments involving optical trapping using a photonic force microscope and particle tracking by video microscopy, respectively, reveal that 1-µm-sized colloidal particles bearing nuclear transport receptors called karyopherins can exhibit behaviour that varies from highly localized to unhindered two-dimensional diffusion. Particle diffusivity is controlled by varying the amount of free karyopherins in solution, which modulates the multivalency of Kap-binding sites within the molecular brush. We conclude that the FG Nups resemble stimuli-responsive molecular 'velcro', which can impart 'reduction of dimensionality' as a means of biomimetic transport control in artificial environments.
authors.affiliation: Biozentrum and the Swiss Nanoscience Institute, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70 CH - 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Kai D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Schleicher
authors.affiliation: Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.
authors.forename: Simon L
authors.identifier: 0000000329725147
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Dettmer
authors.affiliation: Biozentrum and the Swiss Nanoscience Institute, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70 CH - 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Larisa E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Kapinos
authors.affiliation: Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pagliara
authors.affiliation: Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.
authors.forename: Ulrich F
authors.initials: UF
authors.lastname: Keyser
authors.affiliation: Biozentrum, University of Basel and the Laboratory of Physics of Complex Matter, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jeney
authors.affiliation: Biozentrum and the Swiss Nanoscience Institute, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70 CH - 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Roderick Y H
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D021581:Active Transport, Cell Nucleus / Q000502:physiology; D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D022022:Nuclear Pore / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D028861:Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids; D028861:Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins