Tailored Polymeric Membranes for Mycobacterium Smegmatis Porin A (MspA) Based Biosensors.

ABSTRACT: Nanopores based on protein channels inserted into lipid membranes have paved the way towards a wide-range of inexpensive biosensors, especially for DNA sequencing. A key obstacle in using these biological ion channels as nanodevices is the poor stability of lipid bilayer membranes. Amphiphilic block copolymer membranes have emerged as a robust alternative to lipid membranes. While previous efforts have shown feasibility, we demonstrate for the first time the effect of polymer composition on MspA protein functionality. We show that membrane-protein interaction depends on the hydrophobic-hydrophilic ratio (f-ratio) of the block copolymer. These effects are particularly pronounced in asymmetric protein pores like MspA compared to the cylindrical α-Hemolysin pore. A key effect of membrane-prot

SUBMITTER: Morton D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4582436 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature