BACTERIAL AND ARCHAEAL S-LAYER PROTEINS - STRUCTURE-FUNCTION-RELATIONSHIPS AND THEIR BIOTECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS

Crystalline cell surface layers (S-layers) composed of planar assembli es of protein or glycoprotein subunits are one of the most commonly ob served cell envelope structures of bacteria and archaea. Isolated S-la yer subunits of numerous organisms are able to assemble into monomolec ular arrays either in suspension, at liquid-surface interfaces, includ ing lipid films, on liposomes and on solid supports, Pores in S-layers are of regular size and morphology, and functional groups on the prot ein lattices are aligned in well-defined positions and orientations, T hese characteristic features of S-layers have led to various applicati ons in biotechnology, vaccine development, diagnostics, biomimetics an d molecular nanotechnology.