Reversible Non-Stick Behaviour of a Bacterial Protein Polymer Provides a Tuneable Molecular Mimic for Cell and Tissue Engineering

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) Vol. 26; no. 17; pp. 2704 - 2709
• Main Authors: Roque, Ana I., Soliakov, Andrei, Birch, Mark A., Philips, Sion R., Shah, Deepan S. H., Lakey, Jeremy H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.05.2014; Wiley-VCH
• Subjects: Adhesiveness; Animals; Bacteria; Bacterial Proteins - chemistry; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Biomimetic Materials - chemistry; Biomimetic Materials - metabolism; Cell Adhesion - physiology; Cell Proliferation - physiology; Communication; Communications; Extracellular Matrix Proteins - chemistry; Extracellular Matrix Proteins - genetics; Extracellular Matrix Proteins - metabolism; Humans; Materials Testing; Mice; NIH 3T3 Cells; Protein Engineering - methods; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - chemistry; Structure-Activity Relationship; Tissue Engineering - methods
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201304645

Yersina pestis, the bubonic plague bacterium, is coated with a polymeric protein hydrogel for protection from host defences. The protein, which is robust and non‐stick, resembles structures found in many eukaryotic extracellular‐matrix proteins. Cells grown on the natural polymer cannot adhere and grow poorly; however, when cell‐adhesion motifs are inserted into the protein, the cells proliferate.