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Ligand Presentation Inside Protein Crystal Nanopores: Tunable Interfacial Adhesion Noncovalently Modulates Cell
Dafu Wang1,2, Mohammadhasan Hedayati1, Julius D Stuart3
1Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, 1370Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, U.S.A.
Materials Today. Nano
|February 19, 2024
Summary
Porous protein crystals can adsorb polymers with cell adhesion ligands. These ligand-loaded crystals allow tunable cell adhesion strength and offer an internal reservoir for ligand replenishment, enhancing cell attachment and spreading.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cell Biology
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Porous protein crystals can non-covalently adsorb polymers.
- Polymers functionalized with cell adhesion ligands can be loaded into these crystals.
- This creates a tunable platform for cell-material interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate loading of poly(ethylene glycol) terminated with a cyclic cell adhesion ligand peptide (PEG-RGD) into porous protein crystals.
- To measure mechanical interactions between AFM tips and PEG-RGD within the crystals.
- To evaluate the suitability of these crystals as substrates for cell attachment and spreading.
Main Methods:
- Loading of PEG-RGD into porous protein crystals via diffusion.
- Atomic force microscopy (AFM) to measure force-distance correlations and crystal morphology.
- Adipose-derived stem cell culture on protein crystal substrates.
Main Results:
- Successful diffusion-based loading of PEG-RGD into protein crystal nanopores.
- AFM measurements revealed mechanical interactions mimicking cell-ligand engagement.
- Porous protein crystals, with and without PEG-RGD, supported adipose-derived stem cell attachment and spreading.
Conclusions:
- Porous protein crystals can be engineered to present cell adhesion ligands with tunable strength.
- This approach provides an internal reservoir for ligand replenishment.
- The strategy enables the design of advanced biomaterials for controlled cell adhesion and tissue engineering.
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