title: The Bacterial Hydrophobin BslA is a Switchable Ellipsoidal Janus Nanocolloid.
abstract: BslA is an amphiphilic protein that forms a highly hydrophobic coat around Bacillus subtilis biofilms, shielding the bacterial community from external aqueous solution. It has a unique structure featuring a distinct partition between hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. This surface property is reminiscent of synthesized Janus colloids. By investigating the behavior of BslA variants at water-cyclohexane interfaces through a set of multiscale simulations informed by experimental data, we show that BslA indeed represents a biological example of an ellipsoidal Janus nanoparticle, whose surface interactions are, moreover, readily switchable. BslA contains a local conformational toggle, which controls its global affinity for, and orientation at, water-oil interfaces. This adaptability, together with single-point mutations, enables the fine-tuning of its solvent and interfacial interactions, and suggests that BslA could be a basis for biotechnological applications.
authors.affiliation: SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Giovanni B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Brandani
authors.affiliation: SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Marieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schor
authors.affiliation: SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Molecular Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee , Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stanley-Wall
authors.affiliation: SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Cait E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: MacPhee
authors.affiliation: SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marenduzzo
authors.affiliation: Division of Physics, School of Engineering, Physics and Mathematics, University of Dundee , Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN, United Kingdom.|Division of Computational Biology, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee , Dow Street, Dundee, DD1 5EH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Zachariae
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D018441:Biofilms; D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry*; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003102:Colloids; D014867:Water