Center for Ultrastructure Research and Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Molecular Nanotechnology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
S-layers are produced by the self assembly of proteinaceous subunits on the surfaces of prokaryotes, so that planar, monomolecular-thick crystalline lattices are formed. Some archaeal and eubacterial S-layer proteins are glycosylated. These lattices typically have center-to-center spacings of less than 25 nm, which makes them attractive for biomimetic or nanotechnological applications.