Altering the mechanical properties of self-assembled filaments through engineering of EspA bacterial protein
Protein-based biomaterials are in high demand due to their high biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and biodegradability. In this study, we explore the bacterial E. coli secreted protein A (EspA), which self-assembles into long extracellular filaments, as a potential building block for new protein-based...
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| Format: | Article |
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Elsevier
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Materials Today Bio |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590006424004757 |
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| author | Moran Elias-Mordechai May Morhaim Maya Georgia Pelah Irina Rostovsky May Nogaoker Jürgen Jopp Raz Zarivach Neta Sal-Man Ronen Berkovich |
| author_facet | Moran Elias-Mordechai May Morhaim Maya Georgia Pelah Irina Rostovsky May Nogaoker Jürgen Jopp Raz Zarivach Neta Sal-Man Ronen Berkovich |
| author_sort | Moran Elias-Mordechai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Protein-based biomaterials are in high demand due to their high biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and biodegradability. In this study, we explore the bacterial E. coli secreted protein A (EspA), which self-assembles into long extracellular filaments, as a potential building block for new protein-based biomaterials. We investigated the morphological and mechanical properties of EspA filaments and how protein engineering can modify them. Our study include three types of filaments: natural EspA filaments, full-length recombinant EspA filaments, and truncated recombinant EspA filaments lacking a third of the original codon region. The recombinant EspA proteins formed curly, thin filaments with higher longitudinal elasticity (shorter persistence length) compared to the natural, linear filaments. Additionally, the recombinant filaments had a radial elastic modulus about an order of magnitude lower than the natural filaments. The truncated recombinant filaments had a higher radial modulus than the full-length ones, and unlike the purely elastic natural filaments, recombinant filaments were less compliant with the applied force that penetrated them. These differences underscore the potential to modulate EspA filament properties through protein sequence mutations. Our findings suggest EspA as a fundamental element for developing a new biomaterial with a hierarchical structure, enabling the fabrication of macroscopic substances from self-assembled EspA-modulated filaments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-70bdb2dce58b4877a30d2f5c5b3ddfb6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2590-0064 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Materials Today Bio |
| spelling | doaj-art-70bdb2dce58b4877a30d2f5c5b3ddfb62025-01-17T04:52:09ZengElsevierMaterials Today Bio2590-00642025-02-0130101414Altering the mechanical properties of self-assembled filaments through engineering of EspA bacterial proteinMoran Elias-Mordechai0May Morhaim1Maya Georgia Pelah2Irina Rostovsky3May Nogaoker4Jürgen Jopp5Raz Zarivach6Neta Sal-Man7Ronen Berkovich8Department of Chemical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 8410501, IsraelDepartment of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 8410501, IsraelDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 8410501, IsraelDepartment of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 8410501, IsraelDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 8410501, IsraelThe Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 8410501, IsraelDepartment of Life-Science, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 8410501, IsraelDepartment of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 8410501, Israel; Corresponding author. Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 8410501, Israel.Department of Chemical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 8410501, Israel; The Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 8410501, Israel; Corresponding author. Department of Chemical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 8410501, Israel.Protein-based biomaterials are in high demand due to their high biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and biodegradability. In this study, we explore the bacterial E. coli secreted protein A (EspA), which self-assembles into long extracellular filaments, as a potential building block for new protein-based biomaterials. We investigated the morphological and mechanical properties of EspA filaments and how protein engineering can modify them. Our study include three types of filaments: natural EspA filaments, full-length recombinant EspA filaments, and truncated recombinant EspA filaments lacking a third of the original codon region. The recombinant EspA proteins formed curly, thin filaments with higher longitudinal elasticity (shorter persistence length) compared to the natural, linear filaments. Additionally, the recombinant filaments had a radial elastic modulus about an order of magnitude lower than the natural filaments. The truncated recombinant filaments had a higher radial modulus than the full-length ones, and unlike the purely elastic natural filaments, recombinant filaments were less compliant with the applied force that penetrated them. These differences underscore the potential to modulate EspA filament properties through protein sequence mutations. Our findings suggest EspA as a fundamental element for developing a new biomaterial with a hierarchical structure, enabling the fabrication of macroscopic substances from self-assembled EspA-modulated filaments.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590006424004757Protein-based biomaterialsMechanical propertiesSelf-assemblyEspAAFM |
| spellingShingle | Moran Elias-Mordechai May Morhaim Maya Georgia Pelah Irina Rostovsky May Nogaoker Jürgen Jopp Raz Zarivach Neta Sal-Man Ronen Berkovich Altering the mechanical properties of self-assembled filaments through engineering of EspA bacterial protein Materials Today Bio Protein-based biomaterials Mechanical properties Self-assembly EspA AFM |
| title | Altering the mechanical properties of self-assembled filaments through engineering of EspA bacterial protein |
| title_full | Altering the mechanical properties of self-assembled filaments through engineering of EspA bacterial protein |
| title_fullStr | Altering the mechanical properties of self-assembled filaments through engineering of EspA bacterial protein |
| title_full_unstemmed | Altering the mechanical properties of self-assembled filaments through engineering of EspA bacterial protein |
| title_short | Altering the mechanical properties of self-assembled filaments through engineering of EspA bacterial protein |
| title_sort | altering the mechanical properties of self assembled filaments through engineering of espa bacterial protein |
| topic | Protein-based biomaterials Mechanical properties Self-assembly EspA AFM |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590006424004757 |
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