Reversible non-stick behaviour of a bacterial protein polymer provides a tuneable molecular mimic for cell and tissue engineering.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 24623384.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1002/adma.201304645 and PMC identifier 4112846.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
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.
Medical subject headings
- Bacterial Proteins
- Biomimetic Materials
- Cell Adhesion
- Cell Proliferation
- Extracellular Matrix Proteins
- Tissue Engineering