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Mucin-Inspired Lubrication on Hydrophobic Surfaces
Benjamin T Käsdorf1, Florian Weber1, Georgia Petrou2
1Department of Mechanical Engineering and Munich School of Bioengineering, Technical University of Munich , Boltzmannstrasse 11, 85748, Garching, Germany.
Biomacromolecules
|June 22, 2017
Summary
Mucins are key to bodily protection and lubrication. Their hydrophobic domains are crucial for surface adsorption and low friction, offering insights for creating artificial superlubricants.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials science
- Surface chemistry
- Tribology
Background:
- Mucins are high-molecular-weight glycoproteins vital for epithelial protection and boundary lubrication.
- The precise molecular mechanisms and chemical features enabling mucin lubrication remain incompletely understood.
- Understanding these features could lead to the development of advanced artificial superlubricants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of hydrophobic terminal peptide domains in mucin adsorption and lubrication.
- To explore methods for compensating lubricity loss upon domain removal.
- To assess the potential of functionalized biopolysaccharides as lubricants.
Main Methods:
- Utilized tryptic digestion to remove hydrophobic terminal domains from porcine gastric mucin (MUC5AC) and human salivary mucin (MUC5B).
- Assessed surface adsorption and boundary lubrication performance on hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces.
- Functionalized dextran with hydrophobic groups and evaluated its lubricating properties.
Main Results:
- Removal of hydrophobic terminal domains significantly reduced mucin adsorption and lubricity on PDMS surfaces.
- Attaching hydrophobic phenyl groups to the central glycosylated region partially restored lubricity.
- Hydrophobically functionalized dextran demonstrated efficient surface adsorption and good lubricity on PDMS.
Conclusions:
- Hydrophobic terminal peptide domains are critical for mucin's ability to adsorb to and lubricate hydrophobic surfaces.
- Hydrophobic functionalization of biomacromolecules, including polysaccharides, is a viable strategy for developing effective artificial lubricants.
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