Photoactivatable Mussel-Based Underwater Adhesive Proteins by an Expanded Genetic Code
Matthias Hauf1, Florian Richter2, Tobias Schneider1
1Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10, 10623, Berlin, Germany.
Chembiochem : a European Journal of Chemical Biology
|June 27, 2017
Summary
Marine mussels use DOPA-rich proteins for underwater adhesion. Genetic engineering enabled producing photocaged mussel adhesive proteins (MAPs) with enhanced wet adhesion after UV light exposure, overcoming production challenges.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Materials Science
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Marine mussels possess remarkable underwater adhesion capabilities attributed to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA)-rich mussel adhesive proteins (MAPs).
- The recombinant production of MAPs presents significant biotechnological hurdles, limiting their widespread application.
- Developing efficient methods for producing functional MAPs is crucial for bioadhesive technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel strategy for the in vivo production of mussel adhesive proteins (MAPs) site-specifically modified with a photocaged amino acid.
- To engineer aminoacyl-transfer RNA synthetases (aaRSs) capable of incorporating ortho-nitrobenzyl DOPA (ONB-DOPA) into MAPs.
- To demonstrate the enhanced underwater adhesion properties of these modified MAPs upon UV light activation.
Main Methods:
- Genetic code expansion was employed to engineer efficient aaRSs for the noncanonical amino acid ONB-DOPA.
- The engineered ONB-DOPARS system was used for in vivo production of MAP type 5 with multiple ONB-DOPA instances.
- Photocaged MAPs were characterized, and their underwater adhesion properties were evaluated after UV light exposure.
Main Results:
- Successful in vivo production of MAP type 5 site-specifically functionalized with multiple ONB-DOPA residues was achieved.
- The engineered ONB-DOPARS system demonstrated high efficiency in incorporating the photocaged amino acid.
- UV light exposure led to significantly enhanced wet adhesion properties of the ONB-DOPA-equipped MAPs.
Conclusions:
- A novel genetic code expansion strategy enables the production of photocaged MAPs with spatiotemporally controlled underwater adhesive properties.
- This approach overcomes previous limitations in recombinant MAP production and offers enhanced adhesion upon photoactivation.
- The findings open new avenues for the development of advanced recombinant bioadhesives with tunable underwater performance.
