Single adhesive nanofibers from a live diatom have the signature fingerprint of modular proteins

Abstract

The adhesive and mechanical properties of a cell-substratum adhesive secreted by live diatom cells were examined in situ using atomic force microscopy. The resulting force curves have a regular saw-tooth pattern, the characteristic fingerprint of modular proteins, and when bridged between tip and surface can repeatedly be stretched and relaxed resulting in precisely overlaying saw-tooth curves (up to ∼600 successive cycles). The average rupture force of the peaks is 0.794 ± 0.007 (mean ± SE) nN at a loading rate of 0.8 μm/s and the average persistence length is 0.026 ± <0.001 (mean ± SE) nm (fit using the worm-like chain model). We propose that we are pulling on single adhesive nanofibers, e..