Sequence Specific Association of Tryptic Peptides with Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes: Effect of Localization of Hydrophobic Residues

Superior performance of novel chitosan-based flocculants in decolorization of anionic dyes: Responses of flocculation performance to flocculant molecular structures and hydrophobicity and flocculation mechanism

To achieve economical and efficient decolorization, two novel flocculants, weakly hydrophobic comb-like chitosan-graft-poly (N, N-Dimethylacrylamide) (CSPD) and strongly hydrophobic chain-like chitosan-graft-L-Cyclohexylglycine (CSLC) were synthesized in this study. To assess the effectiveness and application of CSPD and CSLC, the impacts of factors, including flocculant dosages, initial pH, initial dye concentrations, co-existing inorganic ions and turbidities, on the decolorization performance were explored. The results suggested that the optimum decolorizing efficiencies of the five anionic dyes ranged from 83.17% to 99.40%. Moreover, for accurately controlling flocculation performance, the responses to flocculant molecular structures and hydrophobicity in flocculation using CSPD and CSLC were studied. The Comb-like structure gives CSPD a wider dosage range for effective decolorization and better efficiencies with large molecule dyes under weak alkaline conditions. The strong hydrophobicity makes CSLC more effective in decolorization and more suitable for removing small molecule dyes under weak alkaline conditions. Meanwhile, the responses of removal efficiency and floc size to flocculant hydrophobicity are more sensitive. Mechanism studies revealed that charge neutralization, hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic association worked together in the decolorization of CSPD and CSLC. This study has provided meaningful guidance for developing flocculants in the treatment of diverse printing and dyeing wastewater.

Recent advances in carbon nanotubes-based biocatalysts and their applications

Enzymes have been incorporated into a wide variety of fields and industries as they catalyze many biochemical and chemical reactions. The immobilization of enzymes on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for generating nano biocatalysts with high stability and reusability is gaining great attention among researchers. Functionalized CNTs act as excellent support for effective enzyme immobilization. Depending on the application, the enzymes can be tailored using the various surface functionalization techniques on the CNTs to extricate the desirable characteristics. Aiming at the preparation of efficient, stable, and recyclable nanobiocatalysts, this review provides an overview of the methods developed to immobilize the various enzymes. Various applications of carbon nanotube-based biocatalysts in water purification, bioremediation, biosensors, and biofuel cells have been comprehensively reviewed.

A carefully designed nanoplatform based on multi walled carbon nanotube wrapped with aptamers

The interaction between carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and biological molecules of diagnostic and therapeutic interest, as well as the internalization of the CNTs-biomolecules complexes in different types of cell, has been extensively studied due to the potential use of these nanocomplexes as multifunctional nanoplatforms in a great variety of biomedical applications. The effective use of these nanobiotechnologies requires broad multidisciplinary studies of biocompatibility, regarding, for example, the in vitro and in vivo nanotoxicological assays, the capacity to target specific cells and the evaluation of their biomedical potential. However, the first step to be reached is the careful obtainment of the nanoplatform and the understanding of the actual surface composition and structural integrity of the complex system. In this work, we show the detailed construction of a nanoplatform created by the noncovalent interaction between oxidized multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and a DNA aptamer targeting tumor cells. The excess free aptamer was removed by successive washes, revealing the actual surface of the nanocomplex. The MWCNT-aptamer interaction by π-stacking was evidenced and shown to contribute in obtaining a stable nanocomplex compatible with aqueous media having good cell viability. The nucleotide sequence of the aptamer remained intact after the functionalization, allowing its use in further studies of specificity and binding affinity and for the construction of functional nanoplatforms.

Peptide Probe for Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes: Electrophoretic Assessment of the Binding Interface and Evaluation of Surface Functionalization

Noncovalent interactions of peptides and proteins with carbon nanotubes play a key role in sensing, dispersion, and biocompatibility. Advances in these areas require that the forces which contribute to physical adsorption are understood in order that the carbon nanotubes present a degree of functionalization appropriate to the desired application. Affinity analyses of peptides are employed to evaluate the role of tryptophan and arginine residues in physical adsorption to carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Peptides containing arginine and tryptophan, WR(W) _n, are used with affinity capillary electrophoresis to identify factors that lead to the formation of peptide-carbon nanotube complexes. The effects of changing the amino acid composition and residue length are evaluated by measuring dissociation constants. Electrostatic interactions contribute significantly to complexation, with the strongest interaction observed using the peptide WRWWWW and carboxylated carbon nanotube. Stronger interaction is observed when the tryptophan content is successively increased as follows: WR(W)₄ > WR(W)₃ > WR(W)₂ > WRW > WR. However, as observed with polytryptophan (W₅, W₄, W₃, and W₂), removing the arginine residue significantly reduces the interaction with carbon nanotubes. Increasing the arginine content to WRWWRW does not improve binding, whereas replacing the arginine residue in WRWWWW with lysine (WKWWWW) reveals that lysine also contributes to surface adsorption, but not as effectively as arginine. These observations are used to guide a search of the primary sequence of lysozyme to identify short regions in the peptide that contain a single cationic residue and two aromatic residues. One candidate peptide sequence (WMCLAKW) from this search is analyzed by capillary electrophoresis. The dissociation constant of carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes is measured for the peptide, WMCLAKW, to demonstrate the utility of affinity capillary electrophoresis analysis.

Under the lens: carbon nanotube and protein interaction at the nanoscale

The combination of the very different chemical natures of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and proteins gives rise to systems with unprecedented performance, thanks to a rich pool of very diverse chemical, electronic, catalytic and biological properties. Here we review recent advances in the field, including innovative and imaginative aspects from a nanoscale point of view. The tubular nature of CNTs allows for internal protein encapsulation, and also for their external coating by protein cages, affording bottom-up ordering of molecules in hierarchical structures. To achieve such complex systems it is imperative to master the intermolecular forces between CNTs and proteins, including geometry effects (e.g. CNT diameter and curvature) and how they translate into changes in the local environment (e.g. water entropy). The type of interaction between proteins and CNTs has important consequences for the preservation of their structure and, in turn, function. This key aspect cannot be neglected during the design of their conjugation, be it covalent, non-covalent, or based on a combination of both methods. The review concludes with a brief discussion of the very many applications intended for CNT-protein systems that go across various fields of science, from industrial biocatalysis to nanomedicine, from innovative materials to biotechnological tools in molecular biology research.

Carbon Nanotube Uptake Changes the Biomechanical Properties of Human Lung Epithelial Cells in a Time-dependent Manner

The toxicity of engineered nanomaterials in biological systems depends on both the nanomaterial properties and the exposure duration. Herein we used a multi-tier strategy to investigate the relationship between user-characterized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) exposure duration and their induced biochemical and biomechanical effects on model human lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). Our results showed that exposure to MWCNTs leads to time-dependent intracellular uptake and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), along with time-dependent gradual changes in cellular biomechanical properties. In particular, the amount of internalized MWCNTs followed a sigmoidal curve with the majority of the MWCNTs being internalized within 6h of exposure; further, the sigmoidal uptake correlated with the changes in the oxidative levels and cellular biomechanical properties respectively. Our study provides new insights into the time-dependent induced toxicity caused by exposure to occupationally relevant doses of MWCNTs and could potentially help establish bases for early risk assessments of other nanomaterials toxicological profiles.

Peptide-induced affinity binding of carbonic anhydrase to carbon nanotubes

Although affinity binding between short chain peptides and carbon nanotube (CNT) has been reported, little is known for the study of proteins with CNT recognition and specific binding capabilities. Herein, carbonic anhydrase (CA) was functionalized via protein fusion with a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNTs)-binding peptide, thereby forming a bioactive protein with high affinity binding capability. TEM and AFM analyses showed that the fusion CA could firmly coat to SWNTs with a surface coverage over 51%, while the enzyme maintained its catalytic activity. Structural analysis revealed that slight conformation changes were induced as a result of the fusion; however, the affinity binding of CA to the hydrophobic surface of SWNTs restored the native structure of the protein, with the conformation of the SWNT-bound CA largely resembling that of the native parent enzyme. Interfacial interactions between the fusion CA and SWNT were further investigated with Raman spectrometry and microscopic analysis. The results suggested that such peptide-induced CNT-protein binding allows the development of bioactive hybrid materials with the native structures of the protein moieties largely undisrupted.

The devil and holy water: protein and carbon nanotube hybrids

Integrating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with biological systems to form hybrid functional assemblies is an innovative research area with great promise for medical, nanotechnology, and materials science applications. The specifics of molecular recognition and catalytic activity of proteins combined with the mechanical and electronic properties of CNTs provides opportunities for physicists, chemists, biologists, and materials scientists to understand and develop new nanomachines, sensors, or any of a number of other molecular assemblies. Researchers know relatively little about the structure, function, and spatial orientation of proteins noncovalently adsorbed on CNTs, yet because the interaction of CNTs with proteins depends strongly on the tridimensional structure of the proteins, many of these questions can be answered in simple terms. In this Account, we describe recent research investigating the properties of CNT/protein hybrids. Proteins act to solvate CNTs and may sort them according to diameter or chirality. In turn, CNTs can support and immobilize enzymes, creating functional materials. Additional applications include proteins that assemble ordered hierarchical objects containing CNTs, and CNTs that act as protein carriers for vaccines, for example. Protein/CNT hybrids can form bioscaffolds and can serve as therapeutic and imaging materials. Proteins can detect CNTs or coat them to make them biocompatible. One of the more challenging applications for protein/CNT hybrids is to make CNT substrates for cell growth and neural interfacing applications. The challenge arises from the structures' interactions with living cells, which poses questions surrounding the (nano)toxicology of CNTs and whether and how CNTs can detect biological processes or sense them as they occur. The surface chemistry of CNTs and proteins, including interactions such as π-π stacking interactions, hydrophobic interactions, surfactant-like interactions, and charge-π interactions, governs the wealth of structures, processes, and functions that appear when such different types of molecules interact. Each residue stars in one of two main roles, and understanding which residues are best suited for which type of interaction can lead to the design of new hybrids. Nonlocally, the peptide or protein primary, secondary, and tertiary structures govern the binding of proteins by CNTs. The conjugation of proteins with CNTs presents some serious difficulties both experimentally and culturally (such as bridging the "jargon barrier" across disciplines). The intersection of these fields lies between communities characterized by distinctly different approaches and methodologies. However, the examples of this Account illustrate that when this barrier is overcome, the exploitation of hybrid CNT-protein systems offers great potential.