Formation of amphipathic amyloid monolayers from fungal hydrophobin proteins

Methods Mol Biol. 2013:996:119-29. doi: 10.1007/978-1-62703-354-1_7.

Abstract

The fungal hydrophobins are small proteins that are able to spontaneously self-assemble into amphipathic monolayers at hydrophobic:hydrophilic interfaces. These protein monolayers can reverse the wettability of a surface, making them suitable for increasing the biocompatibility of many hydrophobic nanomaterials. One subgroup of this family, the class I hydrophobins, forms monolayers that are composed of extremely robust amyloid-like fibrils, called rodlets. Here we describe protocols for the production and purification of recombinant hydrophobins and oxidative refolding to a biologically active, soluble, monomeric form. We describe methods to trigger self-assembly into the fibrillar rodlet state and techniques to characterize the physicochemical properties of the polymeric forms.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Coated Materials, Biocompatible / chemistry
  • Escherichia coli
  • Fungal Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Fungal Proteins / chemistry*
  • Fungal Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Immobilized Proteins / chemistry
  • Nanostructures / chemistry
  • Nanotechnology
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Protein Biosynthesis
  • Protein Refolding
  • Surface Properties
  • Surface-Active Agents / chemistry*
  • Wettability

Substances

  • Coated Materials, Biocompatible
  • Fungal Proteins
  • Immobilized Proteins
  • Surface-Active Agents