Elasticity in Macrophage-Synthesized Biocrystals
Elizabeth M Horstman1, Rahul K Keswani2, Benjamin A Frey3
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Street, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|January 13, 2017
Summary
Intracellular forces bend clofazimine (CFZ) drug crystals within macrophages, revealing their elasticity. This discovery opens avenues for using these bio-engineered crystals as templates for novel microdevices.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Crystallography
- Cellular Engineering
Background:
- Supramolecular crystalline assembly offers a method for bioengineering intracellular structures.
- Clofazimine (CFZ) forms crystalline structures in vivo within macrophages.
- Previous research links specific crystal structures to elasticity in organic materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the curvature of in vivo clofazimine (CFZ) biocrystals.
- To understand the role of intracellular forces in deforming these drug crystals.
- To explore the potential of elastic intracellular crystals as templates for microdevices.
Main Methods:
- Measurement of biocrystal curvature in vivo and in isolated forms.
- Analysis of the crystal structure of clofazimine hydrochloride (CFZ-HCl).
- Investigation of photoelastic effects in bent CFZ-HCl crystals.
Main Results:
- In vivo CFZ biocrystals exhibit significant curvature, which is reduced in isolation.
- CFZ-HCl crystal structure shows corrugated packing and weak dispersive bonding, indicative of elasticity.
- Internal stress in bent CFZ-HCl crystals causes photoelastic effects.
Conclusions:
- Intracellular forces actively deform clofazimine biocrystals, highlighting their elastic nature.
- The inherent elasticity of CFZ-HCl crystals is linked to their molecular packing.
- Elastic intracellular crystals present a novel platform for developing functional microdevices.
