Issue 22, 2023

The polymer and materials science of the bacterial fimbriae Caf1

Abstract

Fimbriae are long filamentous polymeric protein structures located upon the surface of bacteria. Often implicated in pathogenicity, the biosynthesis and function of fimbriae has been a productive topic of study for many decades. Evolutionary pressures have ensured that fimbriae possess unique structural and mechanical properties which are advantageous to bacteria. These properties are also difficult to engineer with well-known synthetic and natural fibres, and this has raised an intriguing question: can we exploit the unique properties of bacterial fimbriae in useful ways? Initial work has set out to explore this question by using Capsular antigen fragment 1 (Caf1), a fimbriae expressed naturally by Yersina pestis. These fibres have evolved to ‘shield’ the bacterium from the immune system of an infected host, and thus are rather bioinert in nature. Caf1 is, however, very amenable to structural mutagenesis which allows the incorporation of useful bioactive functions and the modulation of the fibre's mechanical properties. Its high-yielding recombinant synthesis also ensures plentiful quantities of polymer are available to drive development. These advantageous features make Caf1 an archetype for the development of new polymers and materials based upon bacterial fimbriae. Here, we cover recent advances in this new field, and look to future possibilities of this promising biopolymer.

Graphical abstract: The polymer and materials science of the bacterial fimbriae Caf1

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
27 Jun 2023
Accepted
22 Sep 2023
First published
26 Sep 2023
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Biomater. Sci., 2023,11, 7229-7246

The polymer and materials science of the bacterial fimbriae Caf1

D. A. Fulton, G. Dura and D. T. Peters, Biomater. Sci., 2023, 11, 7229 DOI: 10.1039/D3BM01075A

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