Self-repair of biological fibers catalyzed by the surface of a virus crystal.

Helical fibers, presumably proteinaceous and of microbial origin, have been visualized by atomic force microscopy on the surfaces of crystals of satellite tobacco mosaic virus. If the crystals are growing, then the fibers are incorporated intact into the crystal lattice. If broken on the crystal surface, then within a few minutes, the fibers self-reassemble to reestablish continuity. This, we believe, is the first observation of such a crystal surface-catalyzed repair of a biological structure. The surfaces of virus crystals provide ideal workbenches for the visualization and manipulation of nanoscale objects, particularly extended structures such as these fibers.