Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER
13
Self-Assembly of Proteins and
Peptides and Their Applications
in Bionanotechnology and
Dentistry
K. Subramani
1
and W. Ahmed
2
1
Department of Orthodontics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
2
Institute of Nanotechnology and Bioengineering, School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences,
University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK
CONTENTS
13.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................209
13.2 Mechanism of Molecular Self-Assembly ........................................................................................210
13.3 Classification of Self-Assembly .....................................................................................................210
13.4 Self-Assembly of Proteins and Peptides.........................................................................................213
13.5 Bionanotechnology Applications ...................................................................................................213
13.6 Peptide Nanofibers, Nanotubes, and Nanowires .............................................................................214
13.7 Three-Dimensional Peptide Matrix Scaffolds..................................................................................218
13.8 Advantages and Limitations of Self-Assembling Peptide Matrix Scaffolds ........................................220
13.9 Self-Assembly in Regenerative Biology and Dentistry .....................................................................220
13.10 Conclusions.................................................................................................................................222
References ............................................................................................................................................222
13.1
INTRODUCTION
Self-assembly is the fundamental principle which generates and governs structural organization on
all scales from molecules to the galaxies. It is the autonomous organization of individual components
into patterns or structures without human intervention. Self-assembly has been defined as “the non-
covalent interaction of two or more molecular subunits to form an aggregate whose novel structure
and properties are determined by the nature and positioning of the individual components”
[1]
. In
other words, self-assembly is defined as “the spontaneous assembly of molecules into structured,
stable, non-covalently joined aggregates”
[2,3]
. Self-assembly is the inherent ability of numerous
multimeric biological structures to assemble from their component parts through random move-
ments of molecules and formation of weak chemical bonds between surfaces with complementary
shapes. A few examples of self-assembled structures that can be found in biological systems are the
