Actin-based metallic nanowires as bio-nanotransporters

The design of conductive and pattern actin-based gold nanowires, and on the ATP-driven motility of the nano-objects was reported. The conductivity of the Au wires generated on the actin template was characterized by deposition of the metal wires across 1.0-1.2-μm gaps separating two gold electrodes. It was shown that the wire structuring was initiated by the primary polymerization of the Au-NP-functionalized G-actin monomers to form the NP-functionalized F-actin filament. It was also shown that Au-NP-labelled G-actin was repolymerized, and the resulting filaments were subjected to catalytic enlargement of the Au-NP to generate a continous metal wire.