Self-assembly of β-glucosidase and D-glucose-tethering zeolite crystals into fibrous aggregates

beta -Glucosidase and D-glucose-tethering micrometer-sized zeolite crystals self-assemble into thin (2-20 mum) and very long (>1 cm) fibrous aggregates in water. The process proceeds at a faster rate in a buffer solution of pH 4.8 at which the enzymatic activity is highest. The zeolite and enzyme remain intact within the fibrous material. Furthermore, the enzymatic activity of beta -glucosidase is preserved even after they are kept in water for more than 6 months at room temperature. With the zeolite to enzyme weight ratio of 5, all the zeolite crystals are buried within the round fibrils which consist of either a single strand or helical double strands. Upon increasing the ratio to 10, clusters of unburied zeolite crystals appear on the exterior of the fibrils, while narrow flat fibers with smooth surfaces are formed upon decreasing the ratio to 2.5. The process is proposed to initiate by the tight binding between the zeolite-bound D-glucose moieties and beta -glucosidase followed by crystallization of the enzyme over the zeolite-bound enzyme monolayer. This report thus reveals a novel behavior of beta -glucosidase and demonstrates an unprecedented phenomenon that an enzyme and its substrate-tethering inorganic crystals self-assemble into structured aggregates.