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Mendes G, Faulk B, Kaparthi B, Irion AR, Fong BL, Bayless K, Bondos SE. Genetic Functionalization of Protein-Based Biomaterials via Protein Fusions. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:4639-4662. [PMID: 39074364 PMCID: PMC11323028 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Proteins implement many useful functions, including binding ligands with unparalleled affinity and specificity, catalyzing stereospecific chemical reactions, and directing cell behavior. Incorporating proteins into materials has the potential to imbue devices with these desirable traits. This review highlights recent advances in creating active materials by genetically fusing a self-assembling protein to a functional protein. These fusion proteins form materials while retaining the function of interest. Key advantages of this approach include elimination of a separate functionalization step during materials synthesis, uniform and dense coverage of the material by the functional protein, and stabilization of the functional protein. This review focuses on macroscale materials and discusses (i) multiple strategies for successful protein fusion design, (ii) successes and limitations of the protein fusion approach, (iii) engineering solutions to bypass any limitations, (iv) applications of protein fusion materials, including tissue engineering, drug delivery, enzyme immobilization, electronics, and biosensing, and (v) opportunities to further develop this useful technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela
Geraldo Mendes
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health, Bryan, Texas 77807-3260, United States
- Fralin
Biomedical Research Institute, Virginia
Tech University, Roanoke, Virginia 24016, United States
| | - Britt Faulk
- Department
of Medical Physiology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health, Bryan, Texas 77807, United States
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Bhavika Kaparthi
- Department
of Medical Physiology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health, Bryan, Texas 77807, United States
| | - Andrew R. Irion
- Department
of Medical Physiology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health, Bryan, Texas 77807, United States
| | - Brandon Look Fong
- Department
of Medical Physiology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health, Bryan, Texas 77807, United States
| | - Kayla Bayless
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health, Bryan, Texas 77807-3260, United States
- Department
of Medical Physiology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health, Bryan, Texas 77807, United States
| | - Sarah E. Bondos
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health, Bryan, Texas 77807-3260, United States
- Department
of Medical Physiology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health, Bryan, Texas 77807, United States
- Department
of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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2
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Lin B, Xie J, Gao B, He B. Efficient Biosynthetic Fabrication of Spidroins with High Spinning Performance. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2400128. [PMID: 38520721 PMCID: PMC11165546 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202400128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
The unique 3D structure of spider silk protein (spidroin) determines the excellent mechanical properties of spidroin fiber, but the difficulty of heterologous expression and poor spinning performance of recombinant spider silk protein limit its application. A high-yield low-molecular-weight biomimetic spidroin (Amy-6rep) is obtained by sequence modification, and its excellent spinning performance is verified by electrospinning it for use as a nanogenerator. Amy-6rep increases the highly fibrogenic microcrystalline region in the core repeat region of natural spidroin with limited sequence length and replaces the polyalanine sequence with an amyloid polypeptide through structural similarity. Due to sequence modification, the expression of Amy-6rep increased by ≈200%, and the self-assembly performance of Amy-6rep significantly increased. After electrospinning with Amy-6rep, the nanofibers exhibit good tribopower generation capacity. In this paper, a biomimetic spidroin sequence design with high yield and good spinning performance is reported, and a strategy for electrospinning to produce an artificial nanogenerator is explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoyang Lin
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical EngineeringSchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesNanjing Tech UniversityNanjing211816China
| | - Jingjun Xie
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical EngineeringSchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesNanjing Tech UniversityNanjing211816China
| | - Bingbing Gao
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical EngineeringSchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesNanjing Tech UniversityNanjing211816China
| | - Bingfang He
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical EngineeringSchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesNanjing Tech UniversityNanjing211816China
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3
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Wang M, Yang Z, Jia B, Qin D, Liu Y, Wang F, Sun J, Zhang H, Li J, Liu K. Modular Protein Fibers with Outstanding High-Strength and Acid-Resistance Performance Mediated by Copper Ion Binding and Imine Networking. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2400544. [PMID: 38390909 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202400544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Engineered protein fibers are promising biomaterials with diverse applications due to their tunable protein structure and outstanding mechanical properties. However, it remains challenging at the molecular level to achieve satisfied mechanical properties and environmental tolerance simultaneously, especially under extreme acid conditions. Herein, the construction of artificial fibers comprising chimeric proteins made of rigid amyloid peptide and flexible cationic elastin-like protein (ELP) module is reported. The amyloid peptide readily assembles into highly organized β-sheet structures that can be further strengthened by the coordination of Cu2+, while the flexible ELP module allows the formation of imine-based crosslinking networks. These double networks synergistically enhance the mechanical properties of the fibers, leading to a high tensile strength and toughness, overwhelming many reported recombinant spidroin fibers. Notably, the coordination of Cu2+ with serine residues could stabilize β-sheet structures in the fibers under acidic conditions, which makes the fibers robust against acid, thus enabling their successful utilization in gastric perforation suturing. This work highlights the customization of double networks at the molecular level to create tailored high-performance protein fibers for various application scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China, 130022
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China, 230026
| | - Zhenyue Yang
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China, 130024
| | - Bo Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China, 130022
| | - Dawen Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China, 130022
| | - Yawei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China, 130022
| | - Fan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China, 130022
| | - Jing Sun
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China, 200241
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China, 130022
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China, 230026
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, 100084
- Xiangfu Laboratory, Jiaxing, China, 314102
| | - Jingjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China, 130022
| | - Kai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China, 130022
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China, 230026
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, 100084
- Xiangfu Laboratory, Jiaxing, China, 314102
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4
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Chen Z, Cheng C, Liu L, Lin B, Xiong Y, Zhu W, Zheng K, He B. Tyrosine Mutation in the Characteristic Motif of the Amorphous Region of Spidroin for Self-Assembly Capability Enhancement. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:22441-22449. [PMID: 38799334 PMCID: PMC11112579 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c02477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Spidroin, with robust mechanical performance and good biocompatibility, could fulfill broad applications in material science and biomedical fields. Development of miniature spidroin has made abundant fiber production economically feasible, but the mechanical properties of artificial silk still fall short of natural silk. The mechanism behind mechanical properties of spidroin usually focuses on β-microcrystalline regions; the effect of amorphous regions was barely studied. In this study, residue tyrosines (Y) were designed to replace asparagine (N)/glutamic acid (Q) in the characteristic motifs (GGX)n in amorphous regions for performance enhancement of spidroin; the mutants presented lower free energy and significantly exhibited stronger van der Waals and electrostatic interactions, which might result from π-π stacking interactions between the phenyl rings in the side chain of tyrosine. Additionally, the soluble expressions of wild-type spidroin and mutant spidroin were achieved when heterologously expressed in E. coli, with yields of 560 mg/L (2REP), 590 mg/L (2REPM), 240 mg/L (4REP), and 280 mg/L (4REPM). Significantly, secondary structure analysis confirmed that the mutant spidroin more avidly forms more β-sheets than the wild-type spidroin, and aggregation morphology suggested that mutant spidroin displayed better self-assembly capacity and was easier to form artificial spider silk fibers; in particular, self-assembled 4REPM nanofibrils had an average modulus of 11.2 ± 0.35 GPa, about 2 times higher than self-assembled B. mori silk nanofibrils and almost the same as that of native spider dragline silk fibers (10-15 GPa). Thus, we first demonstrated a new influence mechanism of the amorphous region's characteristic motif on the self-assembly and material properties of spidroin. Our study provides a reference for the design of high-performance material proteins and their heterologous preparation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyang Chen
- College
of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Cheng Cheng
- School
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech
University, No. 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Li Liu
- Biomass
Molecular Engineering Center and Department of Materials Science and
Engineering, School of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
| | - Baoyang Lin
- College
of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Yongji Xiong
- College
of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Weiyu Zhu
- School
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech
University, No. 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Ke Zheng
- Biomass
Molecular Engineering Center and Department of Materials Science and
Engineering, School of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
| | - Bingfang He
- School
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech
University, No. 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing 211816, China
- College
of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing 211816, China
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5
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Xiong Y, Xu Y, Lin B, He B, Gao B. Kirigami-inspired artificial spidroin microneedles for wound patches. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 268:131838. [PMID: 38663709 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Intelligent wound management has important potential for promoting the recovery of chronic wounds caused by diabetes. Here, inspired by the field of kirigami, smart patterned high-stretch microneedle dressings (KPMDs) based on gene-modified spider silk proteins were developed to achieve sensitive biochemical and physiological sensing. The spider silk protein (spidroin) has excellent tensile properties, ductility, toughness and biocompatibility. Notably, the kirigami method-prepared kirigami structure of the spidroin MN dressing had a high tensile strength , while its ductility reached approximately 800 %. Moreover, the unique optical properties of photonic crystals allow for fluorescence enhancement, providing KPMD with color-sensitive properties suitable for wound management and clinical guidance. Furthermore, to improve the sensitivity of KPMD-s to motion monitoring, a microelectronic matrix was integrated on its surface. These distinct material properties suggest that this research lays the foundation for a new generation of high-performance biomimetic diatomaceous earth materials for application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongji Xiong
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Yue Xu
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Baoyang Lin
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Bingfang He
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing, 211816, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Bingbing Gao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing, 211816, China.
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6
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Li M, Li J, Liu K, Zhang H. Artificial structural proteins: Synthesis, assembly and material applications. Bioorg Chem 2024; 144:107162. [PMID: 38308999 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Structural proteins have evolved over billions of years and offer outstanding mechanical properties, such as resilience, toughness and stiffness. Advances in modular protein engineering, polypeptide modification, and synthetic biology have led to the development of novel biomimetic structural proteins to perform in biomedical and military fields. However, the development of customized structural proteins and assemblies with superior performance remains a major challenge, due to the inherent limitations of biosynthesis, difficulty in mimicking the complexed macroscale assembly, etc. This review summarizes the approaches for the design and production of biomimetic structural proteins, and their chemical modifications for multiscale assembly. Furthermore, we discuss the function tailoring and current applications of biomimetic structural protein assemblies. A perspective of future research is to reveal how the mechanical properties are encoded in the sequences and conformations. This review, therefore, provides an important reference for the development of structural proteins-mimetics from replication of nature to even outperforming nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China; School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Jingjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China.
| | - Kai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China; School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China; School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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7
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Jeon J, Lee KZ, Zhang X, Jaeger J, Kim E, Li J, Belaygorod L, Arif B, Genin GM, Foston MB, Zayed MA, Zhang F. Genetically Engineered Protein-Based Bioadhesives with Programmable Material Properties. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023. [PMID: 38039085 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c12919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Silk-amyloid-mussel foot protein (SAM) hydrogels made from recombinant fusion proteins containing β-amyloid peptide, spider silk domain, and mussel foot protein (Mfp) are attractive bioadhesives as they display a unique combination of tunability, biocompatibility, bioabsorbability, strong cohesion, and underwater adhesion to a wide range of biological surfaces. To design tunable SAM hydrogels for tailored surgical repair applications, an understanding of the relationships between protein sequence and hydrogel properties is imperative. Here, we fabricated SAM hydrogels using fusion proteins of varying lengths of silk-amyloid repeats and Mfps to characterize their structure and properties. We found that increasing silk-amyloid repeats enhanced the hydrogel's β-sheet content (r = 0.74), leading to higher cohesive strength and toughness. Additionally, increasing the Mfp length beyond the half-length of the full Mfp sequence (1/2 Mfp) decreased the β-sheet content (r = -0.47), but increased hydrogel surface adhesion. Among different variants, the hydrogel made of 16xKLV-2Mfp displayed a high ultimate strength of 3.0 ± 0.3 MPa, an ultimate strain of 664 ± 119%, and an attractive underwater adhesivity of 416 ± 20 kPa to porcine skin. Collectively, the sequence-structure-property relationships learned from this study will be useful to guide the design of future protein adhesives with tunable characteristics for tailored surgical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juya Jeon
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Kok Zhi Lee
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Xiaolu Zhang
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - John Jaeger
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Eugene Kim
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Jingyao Li
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Larisa Belaygorod
- Department of Surgery, Section of Vascular Surgery, Washington University of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Batool Arif
- Department of Surgery, Section of Vascular Surgery, Washington University of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Guy M Genin
- NSF Science and Technology Center for Engineering MechanoBiology, Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
- Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
- Division of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Marcus B Foston
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Mohamed A Zayed
- Department of Surgery, Section of Vascular Surgery, Washington University of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Department of Radiology, Washington University of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Division of Molecular Cell Biology, Washington University of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Division of Molecular Cell Biology, Washington University of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System, 915 North Grand Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63106, United States
| | - Fuzhong Zhang
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
- Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
- Division of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
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8
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Zhang X, Li J, Ma C, Zhang H, Liu K. Biomimetic Structural Proteins: Modular Assembly and High Mechanical Performance. Acc Chem Res 2023; 56:2664-2675. [PMID: 37738227 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Protein-based biomaterials attract growing interests due to their encoded and programmable robust mechanical properties, superelasticity, plasticity, shape adaptability, excellent interfacial behavior, etc., derived from sequence-guided backbone structures, particularly compared to chemically synthetic counterparts in materials science and biomedical engineering. For example, protein materials have been successfully fabricated as (1) artificial implants (man-made tendons, cartilages, or dental tissues), due to programmable chemistry and biocompatibility; (2) smart biodevices with temperature/light-response and self-healing effects; and (3) impact resistance materials having great mechanical performance due to biomimetics. However, the existing method of regenerating protein materials from natural sources has two critical issues, low yield and structural damage, making it unable to meet demands. Therefore, it is crucial to develop an alternative strategy for fabricating protein materials. Heterologous expression of natural proteins with a modular assembly approach is an effective strategy for material preparation. Standardized, easy-to-assemble protein modules with specific structures and functions are developed through experimental and computational tools based on natural functional protein sequences. Through recombination and heterologous expression, these artificial protein modules become keys to material fabrication. Undergoing an assembly process similar to supramolecular self-assembly of proteins in cells, biomimetic modules can be fabricated for formation of macroscopic materials such as fibers and adhesives. This strategy inspired by synthetic biology and supramolecular chemistry is important for improving target protein yields and assembly integrity. It also preserves and optimizes the mechanical functions of structural proteins, accelerating the design and fabrication of artificial protein materials.In this Account, we overview recent studies on fabricating biomimetic protein materials to elucidate the concept of modular assembly. We discuss the design of biomimetic structural proteins at the molecular level, providing a wealth of details determining the bulk properties of materials. Additinally, we describe the modular self-assembly and assembly driven by inducing molecules, and mechanical properties and applications of resulting fibers. We used these strategies to develop fiber materials with high tensile strength, high toughness, and properties such as anti-icing and high-temperature resistance. We also extended this approach to design protein-based adhesives with ultra-strong adhesion, biocompatibility, and biodegradability for surgical applications such as wound sealing and healing. Other protein materials, including films and hydrogels, have been developed through chemical assembly routes. Finally, we describe exploiting synthetic biology and chemistry to overcome bottlenecks in structural protein modular design, biosynthesis, and material assembly and our perspectives for future development in structural biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jingjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Chao Ma
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Xiangfu Laboratory, Building 5, No.828 Zhongxing Road, Xitang Town, Jiashan, Jiaxing, Zhejiang 314102, China
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Xiangfu Laboratory, Building 5, No.828 Zhongxing Road, Xitang Town, Jiashan, Jiaxing, Zhejiang 314102, China
| | - Kai Liu
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Xiangfu Laboratory, Building 5, No.828 Zhongxing Road, Xitang Town, Jiashan, Jiaxing, Zhejiang 314102, China
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9
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Graham JJ, Keten S. Increase in Charge and Density Improves the Strength and Toughness of Mussel Foot Protein 5 Inspired Protein Materials. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2023; 9:4662-4672. [PMID: 37417954 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c00088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Mussel foot protein 5 (fp5) found in the adhesive byssal plaque of Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis exhibits exceptional underwater adhesion to diverse surfaces to the extent that adhesion strength typically exceeds the cohesive strength of the plaque. While sequence effects such as presence of charged residues, metal ion coordination, and high catechol content have been identified to govern fp5's interaction with surfaces, molecular contributors to its cohesive strength remain to be fully understood. Addressing this issue is critical for designing mussel-inspired sequences for new adhesives and biomaterials enabled by synthetic biology. Here we carry out all-atom molecular dynamics simulations on hydrated model fp5 biopolymer melts to understand how sequence features such as tyrosine and charge content affect packing density and inter-residue and ionic interaction strengths and consequently influence the cohesive strength and toughness. Systematic serine (S) substitutions for lysine (K), arginine (R) and tyrosine (Y) residues reveal that Y to S substitution surprisingly results in improvement of cohesive strength due to densification of the material by removal of steric hindrances, whereas the removal of charge in K and R to S substitutions has a detrimental impact on strength and toughness as it reduces cohesive interactions facilitated by electrostatic interactions. Additionally, melts formed from split fp5 sequences with only C or N terminal halves show distinct mechanical responses that further illustrate the role of charge. Our findings provide new insights for designing materials that could potentially surpass the performance of existing biomolecular and bioinspired adhesives, specifically by tailoring sequences for balancing charge and excluded volume effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob J Graham
- Northwestern University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Sinan Keten
- Northwestern University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Northwestern University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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10
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Lee KZ, Jeon J, Jiang B, Subramani SV, Li J, Zhang F. Protein-Based Hydrogels and Their Biomedical Applications. Molecules 2023; 28:4988. [PMID: 37446650 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28134988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Hydrogels made from proteins are attractive materials for diverse medical applications, as they are biocompatible, biodegradable, and amenable to chemical and biological modifications. Recent advances in protein engineering, synthetic biology, and material science have enabled the fine-tuning of protein sequences, hydrogel structures, and hydrogel mechanical properties, allowing for a broad range of biomedical applications using protein hydrogels. This article reviews recent progresses on protein hydrogels with special focus on those made of microbially produced proteins. We discuss different hydrogel formation strategies and their associated hydrogel properties. We also review various biomedical applications, categorized by the origin of protein sequences. Lastly, current challenges and future opportunities in engineering protein-based hydrogels are discussed. We hope this review will inspire new ideas in material innovation, leading to advanced protein hydrogels with desirable properties for a wide range of biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kok Zhi Lee
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MI 63130, USA
| | - Juya Jeon
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MI 63130, USA
| | - Bojing Jiang
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MI 63130, USA
| | - Shri Venkatesh Subramani
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MI 63130, USA
| | - Jingyao Li
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MI 63130, USA
| | - Fuzhong Zhang
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MI 63130, USA
- Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MI 63130, USA
- Division of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MI 63130, USA
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