BioM2D: BioMaterials Molecular Dynamics for biopharmaceutical purification – feasibility study using HPC

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Kinetics of charge-dependent reversible condensation of reflectin nanostructures

Publication . Lychko, Iana; Soares, Cátia Lopes; Barbosa, Arménio Jorge Moura; Calmeiro, Tomás Rosa; Martins, Rodrigo Ferrão de Paiva; Dias, Ana Margarida Gonçalves Carvalho; Roque, Ana Cecília Afonso; UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit; CENIMAT-i3N - Centro de Investigação de Materiais (Lab. Associado I3N); RSC - Royal Society of Chemistry

Reflectins are unique cephalopod proteins found in specialized cells. They form fast triggerable nanostructures in vivo that play a crucial role in light reflection and camouflage. We investigated the rapid kinetics of in vitro reversible self-assembly of two recombinant reflectin sequences (R1b and R6) using pH variations as a trigger. By employing experimental and theoretical approaches across scales, we demonstrated that R6 exhibits superior reversibility and faster assembly kinetics. R6 maintained reversible assembly for up to 7 rapid pH cycles, with changes occurring in less than 20 minutes. This enhanced performance is attributed to R6's higher content of pH-sensitive residues and favorable charge distribution. Our findings impact the design of reflectin-inspired artificial biophotonic systems, offering potential applications in sensors, adaptive optics, and dynamic display technologies.

2025-01-07Artigo científico

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Entidade financiadora

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Programa de financiamento

FCT_CPCA_2022_01

Número da atribuição

2022.15912.CPCA.A1