Charge and Size Drive Spontaneous Self-Assembly of Oppositely Charged Globular Proteins into Microspheres

Ionic Strength Dependence of the Complex Coacervation between Lactoferrin and β-Lactoglobulin

Heteroprotein complex coacervation is an assembly formed by oppositely charged proteins in aqueous solution that leads to liquid-liquid phase separation. The ability of lactoferrin and β-lactoglobulin to form complex coacervates at pH 5.5 under optimal protein stoichiometry has been studied in a previous work. The goal of the current study is to determine the influence of ionic strength on the complex coacervation between these two proteins using direct mixing and desalting protocols. The initial interaction between lactoferrin and β-lactoglobulin and subsequent coacervation process were highly sensitive to the ionic strength. No microscopic phase separation was observed beyond a salt concentration of 20 mM. The coacervate yield decreased drastically with increasing added NaCl from 0 to 60 mM. The charge-screening effect induced by increasing the ionic strength is attributed to a decrease of interaction between the two oppositely charged proteins throughout a decrease in Debye length. Interestingly, as shown by isothermal titration calorimetry, a small concentration of NaCl around 2.5 mM promoted the binding energy between the two proteins. These results shed new light on the electrostatically driven mechanism governing the complex coacervation in heteroprotein systems.

The non-covalent interactions between whey protein and various food functional ingredients

In daily diet, Whey protein (WP) is often coexisted with various Food functional ingredients (FFI) such as proteins, polyphenols, polysaccharides and vitamins, which inevitably affect or interact with each other. Generally speaking, they may be interact by two different mechanisms: non-covalent and covalent interactions, of which the former is more common. We reviewed the non-covalent interactions between WP and various FFI, explained the effect of each WP-FFI interaction, and provided possible applications of WP-FFI complex in the food industry. The biological activity, physical and chemical stability of FFI, and the structure and functionalities of WP were enhanced through the non-covalent interactions. The development of non-covalent interactions between WP and FFI provides opportunities for the design of new ingredients and biopolymer complex, which can be applied in different fields. Future research will further focus on the influence of external or environmental factors in the food system and processing methods on interactions.

Heteroprotein Complex Coacervate Based on β-Conglycinin and Lysozyme: Dynamic Protein Exchange, Thermodynamic Mechanism, and Lysozyme Activity

Heteroprotein complex coacervate (HPCC) is a liquid-like protein concentrate produced by liquid-liquid phase separation. We revealed the protein dynamic exchange and thermodynamic mechanism of β-conglycinin/lysozyme coacervate, and clarified the effect of HPCC on protein structure and activity. β-conglycinin and lysozyme assembled into coacervate at pH 5.75-6.5 and assembled into amorphous precipitates at higher pH. As the pH dropped from 8 to 6, the number of binding sites of the complex decreased in half, and the desolvation degree corresponding to the entropy gain was greatly reduced, conducing to the formation of coacervates rather than precipitates. The coacervates achieved the unique dynamic exchange by exchanging proteins with the diluted phase, making the uniform distribution of proteins in coacervates. The lysozyme activity was completely retained in β-conglycinin/lysozyme coacervates. These results proved that β-conglycinin-based heteroprotein complex coacervate is a feasible method to encapsulate and enrich active proteins in a purely aqueous environment.

Heteroprotein complex coacervation: Focus on experimental strategies to investigate structure formation as a function of intrinsic and external physicochemical parameters for food applications

Proteins are important components of foods, because they are one of the essential food groups, they have many functional properties that are very useful for modifying the physicochemical and textural properties of processed foods and possess many biological activities that are beneficial to human health. The process of heteroprotein complex coacervation (HPCC) combines two or more proteins through long-range coulombic interaction and specific short-range forces, creating a liquid-liquid colloid, with highly concentrated protein in the droplet phase and much more diluted-protein in the bulk phase. Coacervates possess novel, modifiable, physicochemical characteristics, and often exhibit the combined biological activities of the protein components, which makes them applicable to formulated foods and encapsulation carriers. This review discusses research progress in the field of HPCC in three parts: (1) the basic and innovative experimental methods and simulation tools for understanding the physicochemical behavior of these heteroprotein supramolecular architectures; (2) the influence of environmental factors (pH, mixing ratio, salts, temperature, and formation time) and intrinsic factors (protein modifications, metal-binding, charge anisotropy, and polypeptide designs) on HPCC; (3) the potential applications of HPCC materials, such as encapsulation of nutraceuticals, nanogels, emulsion stabilization, and protein separation. The wide diversity of possible combinations of proteins with different properties, endows HPCC materials with great potential for development into highly-innovation functional food ingredients.

Dual mechanism of ionic liquid-induced protein unfolding

Ionic liquids (ILs) are gaining attention as protein stabilizers and refolding additives.

Contrasting Assemblies of Oppositely Charged Proteins

Oppositely charged proteins can form soluble assemblies that under specific physical chemical conditions lead to liquid-liquid phase separation, also called heteroprotein coacervation. Increasing evidence suggests that surface charge anisotropy plays a key role in heteroprotein complexation, and coacervation. Here, we investigated complexation of an acidic protein, β-lactoglobulin (BLG), with two basic proteins, rapeseed napin (NAP) and lysozyme (LYS), of similar net charge and size but differing in surface charge distribution. Using turbidity measurements and isothermal titration calorimetry, we confirmed that LYS binds BLG as expected from previous studies. This interaction leads to two types of phase separation phenomena, depending on pH: liquid-solid phase separation in the case of strong electrostatic attraction and liquid-liquid phase separation for weaker attraction. More interestingly, we showed using dynamic light scattering that NAP interacts with BLG, resulting in formation of assemblies in the nanometer size range. The formation of assemblies was also evident when modeling the interactions using Brownian dynamics for both BLG + NAP and BLG + LYS. Similarly, to DLS, BLG and NAP formed smaller assemblies than BLG with LYS. The molecular details rather than the net charge of BLG and NAP may therefore play a role in their assembly. Furthermore, simulated BLG + NAP assemblies were larger than those experimentally detected by DLS. We discuss the discrepancy between experiments and simulations in relation to the limitations of modelling precisely the molecular characteristics of proteins.

Soft-Matter Approaches for Controlling Food Protein Interactions and Assembly

Animal- and plant-based proteins are present in a wide variety of raw and processed foods. They play an important role in determining the final structure of food matrices. Food proteins are diverse in terms of their biological origin, molecular structure, and supramolecular assembly. This diversity has led to segmented experimental studies that typically focus on one or two proteins but hinder a more general understanding of food protein structuring as a whole. In this review, we propose a unified view of how soft-matter physics can be used to control food protein assembly. We discuss physical models from polymer and colloidal science that best describe and predict the phase behavior of proteins. We explore the occurrence of phase transitions along two axes: increasing protein concentration and increasing molecular attraction. This review provides new perspectives on the link between the interactions, phase transitions, and assembly of proteins that can help in designing new food products and innovative food processing operations.

Antibacterial activity of lysozyme-binding proteins from chicken egg white

The purpose of this study was to establish a method for determining the bacteriolytic activity after separation of lysozyme-binding proteins from egg white. Lysozyme-binding proteins such as ovotransferrin and ovalbumin were separated by non-denaturing two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) and transferred to a membrane. The lysozyme activity of the separated and immobilized egg white proteins was assessed directly to produce a non-denaturing 3D map of the egg white proteins by incorporating an axis that combined each spot's lysozyme-activity with the non-denaturing 2DE pattern. Lysozyme-ovotransferrin and lysozyme-ovalbumin complexes could be reconstructed in vitro after the cathode end fraction containing lysozyme was added to purified ovotransferrin and ovalbumin, respectively. These complexes retained lysozyme activity even after separation by non-denaturing 2DE. Furthermore, when the lysozyme-ovotransferrin complex from egg white was extracted after separation by isoelectric focusing by replacing the cathodic sodium hydroxide solution with phosphoric acid solution, the complex possessed bacteriolytic activity against both Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. These methods can be applied to investigate protein complexes possessing bacteriolytic activity against a wide range of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Effect of the Helix-Coil Transition in Bovine Skin Gelatin on Its Associative Phase Separation with Lysozyme

It is known that the formation of electrostatic polyelectrolyte complexes can induce conformational changes in the interacting macromolecules. However, the opposite effect, namely, that of the helix-coil transition of one of the interacting polyelectrolytes on its associative phase separation with another polyelectrolyte and the possible phase transitions in such systems, has not been determined. Atomic force and confocal laser scanning microscopy, phase analysis, dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering, turbidimetry, absorption, and fluorescence measurements as well as differential scanning calorimetry and rheology were used to study the effect of the helix-coil transition in bovine skin gelatin (Gel) on its associative phase separation with hen egg white lysozyme (Lys) at different temperatures (18-40 °C) and various Lys/Gel weight ratios (0.01-100) at low ionic strength (0.01) and pH 7.0. The effects of the main variables on the phase state, the phase diagram, and the main complexation and binding parameters as well as the temperature and enthalpy of the helix-coil transition of Gel within the complexes were investigated. Associative phase separation is observed only for the system with Gel in the helix state. Effective charge and structure and the solution and rheological behavior of the formed complexes proved to be dependent on the [An^-]/[Cat⁺] charge ratio. The localization of Lys within the complex particles has irregular character without the formation of a single center of binding. The binding of Lys with Gel does not lead to the disruption of its tertiary structure or to an appreciable change in the thermodynamic parameters of the thermal transitions of Lys. Gel in the coil state interacts only weakly with Lys, forming water-soluble complex associates. It is suggested that the Voorn-Overbeek model could potentially describe the stronger binding and phase separation in the case of Gel in the helix state.

Heteroprotein complex coacervates of ovalbumin and lysozyme: Formation and thermodynamic characterization

The formation of heteroprotein coacervates obtained by the interaction of ovalbumin (Ova) and lysozyme (Lys) was investigated using turbidimetric analysis and the zeta potential at different protein ratios, pH values and concentrations of NaCl. The complexes were formed over a wide pH range with a 1:1 (Ova:Lys) ratio and the highest turbidity was observed at pH 7.5, which optimal biopolymer interactions occurring. The addition of NaCl disfavored formation, even at low concentrations, and suppressed it at 300mM. The complex coacervate formation occurred in the region between the isoelectric points (pI) of the proteins, predominantly by electrostatic interactions but with participation of hydrogen bonds. The structures formed had an average size of ∼2μm, which was well above the isolated proteins, and microscopic analysis revealed that the complexes had a globular structure. The interaction was exothermic and spontaneous with a favorable entropic and unfavorable entropic contribution during interaction.

Heteroprotein complex coacervation: A generic process

Proteins exhibit a rich diversity of functional, physico-chemical and biodegradable properties which makes them appealing for various applications in the food and non-food sectors. Such properties are attributed to their ability to interact and assemble into a diversity of supramolecular structures. The present review addresses the updated research progress in the recent field of complex coacervation made from mixtures of oppositely charged proteins (i.e. heteroprotein systems). First, we describe briefly the main proteins used for heteroprotein coacervation. Then, through some selected examples, we illustrate the particularity and specificity of each heteroprotein system and the requirements that drive optimal assembly into coacervates. Finally, possible and promising applications of heteroprotein coacervates are mentioned.

Self-consistent theory for systems with mesoscopic fluctuations

We have developed a theory for inhomogeneous systems that allows for the incorporation of the effects of mesoscopic fluctuations. A hierarchy of equations relating the correlation and direct correlation functions for the local excess [Formula: see text] of the volume fraction of particles ζ has been obtained, and an approximation leading to a closed set of equations for the two-point functions has been introduced for the disordered inhomogeneous phase. We have numerically solved the self-consistent equations for one-dimensional (1D) and three-dimensional (3D) models with short-range attraction and long-range repulsion. Predictions for all of the qualitative properties of the 1D model agree with the exact results, but only semi-quantitative agreement is obtained in the simplest version of the theory. The effects of fluctuations in the two 3D models considered are significantly different, despite the very similar properties of these models in the mean-field approximation. In both cases we obtain the sequence of large-small-large compressibility for increasing ζ. The very small compressibility is accompanied by the oscillatory decay of correlations with correlation lengths that are orders of magnitude larger than the size of particles. In one of the two models considered, the small compressibility becomes very small and the large compressibility becomes very large with decreasing temperature, and eventually van der Waals loops appear. Further studies are necessary in order to determine the nature of the strongly inhomogeneous phase present for intermediate volume fractions in 3D.

Structure and Dynamics of Heteroprotein Coacervates

Under specific conditions, mixing two oppositely charged proteins induces liquid-liquid phase separation. The denser phase, or coacervate phase, can be potentially applied as a system to protect or encapsulate different bioactive molecules with a broad range of food and/or medical applications. The optimization of the design and efficiency of such systems requires a precise understanding of the structure and the equilibrium of the nanocomplexes formed within the coacervate. Here, we report on the nanocomplexes and the dynamics of the coacervates formed by two well-known, oppositely charged proteins β-lactoglobulin (β-LG, pI ≈ 5.2) and lactoferrin (LF, pI ≈ 8.5). Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments indicate the coexistence of several nanocomplexes as the primary units for the coacervation. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of the occurrence of an equilibrium between quite unstable nanocomplexes in the coacervate phase. Combined with in silico docking experiments, these data support the fact that coacervation in the present heteroprotein system depends not only on the structural composition of the coacervates but also on the association rates of the proteins forming the nanocomplexes.

Nonfreezing Water Structuration in Heteroprotein Coacervates

Surface-bound water in protein solutions has been identified with a reduction in its freezing point. We studied the presence of such nonfreezing water (NFW) in various protein-polyelectrolyte, micelle-polyelectrolyte, and protein-protein (heteroprotein) coacervates, along with appropriate concentrated solutions of macromolecules alone, finding up to 15% w/w NFW for the heteroprotein coacervate of lactoferrin (LF) and β-lactoglobulin (BLG). The level of NFW is always higher in coacervates than in the control (single macromolecule) systems, particularly for protein-containing coacervates: a coacervate of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and poly(dimethyldiallylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) showed a ratio of NFW/protein twice that of BSA alone (0.6 vs 0.3), with a similarly high ratio for LF-BLG coacervate. These results are attributed to the maximization of water-protein contacts, structural features that reflect the mode of sample assembly, as they are not seen in a noncoacervated LF-BLG solution with identical concentrations of all species.

Anisotropic protein-protein interactions due to ion binding

Self-association of proteins is strongly affected by long-range electrostatic interactions caused by equilibrium adsorption of small ions such as protons and multivalent metals. By affecting the molecular net charge, solution pH is thus a widely used parameter to tune stability and phase behavior of proteins. We here review recent studies where the charge distribution is perturbed not only by protons, but also by other binding ions, leading to a rich and inherently anisotropic charge distribution. Focus is on coarse grained simulation techniques, coupled to experiments of protein-protein interaction at varying salt and pH conditions. Finally, and with future bio-colloidal models in mind, we discuss the validity of coarse graining charge anisotropy using electric multipoles.

Complex equilibria, speciation, and heteroprotein coacervation of lactoferrin and β-lactoglobulin

There has been a resurgence of interest in complex coacervation, a form of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in systems of oppositely charged macroions, but very few reports describe the somewhat anomalous coacervation between acidic and basic proteins, which occurs under very narrow ranges of conditions. We sought to identify the roles of equilibrium interprotein complexes during the coacervation of β-lactoglobulin dimer (BLG2) with lactoferrin (LF) and found that this LLPS arises specifically from LF(BLG2)2. We followed the progress of complexation and coacervation as a function of r, the LF/BLG molar ratio, using turbidity to monitor the degree of coacervation and proton release and dynamic light scattering (DLS) to assess the stoichiometry and abundance of complexes. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) showed that initial complex formation is endothermic, but a large exotherm related to coacervate formation obscured other regions. On the basis of turbidimetry, proton release, and DLS, we propose a speciation diagram that presents the abundance of various complexes as a function of r. Although multiple species could be simultaneously present, distinct regions could be identified corresponding to equilibria among particular protein pairs.

Self-assembly of β-lactoglobulin and egg white lysozyme as a potential carrier for nutraceuticals

Self-assembly structures of β-lactoglobulin (βlg) and egg protein lysozyme (Lyso) were developed, using electrostatic interactions between the two oppositely charged proteins. Different βlg/Lyso concentration ratios were essayed at pH 6.8 to select the optimal ratio for the proteins co-precipitation, which behaviour was then studied at varying pH values. Optimal βlg/Lyso concentration ratio, prepared at pH 7.5, was selected for protein co-precipitation. As a result, a structure with a mean diameter of 7.1±2.5 μm was formed, as indicated by static light scattering. Furthermore, the SEM images showed that βlg and Lyso self-assembled to form a microsphere. Vitamin D3, used as a model nutraceutical, was successfully entrapped in the βlg/Lyso microspheres with an encapsulation efficiency of 90.8±4.8%. Therefore, the βlg/Lyso microspheres can serve as a potential food-grade vehicle for bioactives in the formulation of food products and pharmaceuticals.

Structure of bovine β-lactoglobulin-lactoferrin coacervates

Lactoferrin (LF) and β-lactoglobulin (BLG) are among the protein pairs that exhibit heteroprotein coacervation, a unique and relatively unexamined type of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). In prior work we found that LF and BLG undergo coacervation at highly constrained conditions of pH, ionic strength and protein stoichiometry. The molar stoichiometry in coacervate and supernatant is LF : BLG2 1 : 2 (where BLG2 represents the 38 kDa BLG dimer), suggesting that this is the primary unit of the coacervate. The precise balance of repulsive and attractive forces among these units, thought to stabilize the coacervate, is achieved only at limited conditions of pH and I. Our purpose here is to define the process by which such structural units form, and to elucidate the forces among them that lead to the long-range order found in equilibrium coacervates. We use confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), small angle neutron scattering (SANS), and rheology to (1) define the uniformity of interprotein spacing within the coacervate phase, (2) verify structural unit dimensions and spacing, and (3) rationalize bulk fluid properties in terms of inter-unit forces. Electrostatic modeling is used in concert with SANS to develop a molecular model for the primary unit of the coacervate that accounts for bulk viscoelastic properties. Modeling suggests that the charge anisotropies of the two proteins stabilize the dipole-like LF(BLG2)2 primary unit, while assembly of these dipoles into higher order equilibrium structures governs the macroscopic properties of the coacervate.

Production, characterization and foamability of α-lactalbumin/glycomacropeptide supramolecular structures

The study of protein interactions has generated great interest in the food industry. Therefore, research on new supramolecular structures shows promise. Supramolecular structures of the whey proteins α-lactalbumin and glycomacropeptide were produced under varying heat treatments (25 to 75°C) and acidic conditions (pH3.5 to 6.5). Isothermal titration calorimetry experiments showed protein interactions and demonstrated that this is an enthalpically driven process. Supramolecular protein structures in aqueous solutions were characterized by circular dichroism and intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy. Additional photon correlation spectroscopy experiments showed that the size distribution of the structures ranged from 4 to 3545nm among the different conditions. At higher temperatures, lower pH increased particle size. The foamability of the supramolecular protein structures was evaluated. Analysis of variance and analysis of regression for foaming properties indicated that the two-factor interactions between pH and temperature exhibited a significant effect on the volume and stability of the foam.

Heteroprotein complex coacervation: bovine β-lactoglobulin and lactoferrin

Lactoferrin (LF) and β-lactoglobulin (BLG), strongly basic and weakly acidic bovine milk proteins, form optically clear coacervates under highly limited conditions of pH, ionic strength I, total protein concentration C(P), and BLG:LF stoichiometry. At 1:1 weight ratio, the coacervate composition has the same stoichiometry as its supernatant, which along with DLS measurements is consistent with an average structure LF(BLG2)2. In contrast to coacervation involving polyelectrolytes here, coacervates only form at I < 20 mM. The range of pH at which coacervation occurs is similarly narrow, ca. 5.7-6.2. On the other hand, suppression of coacervation is observed at high C(P), similar to the behavior of some polyelectrolyte-colloid systems. It is proposed that the structural homogeneity of complexes versus coacervates with polyelectrolytes greatly reduces the entropy of coacervation (both chain configuration and counterion loss) so that a very precise balance of repulsive and attractive forces is required for phase separation of the coacervate equilibrium state. The liquid-liquid phase transition can however be obscured by the kinetics of BLG aggregation which can compete with coacervation by depletion of BLG.

Protein charge and mass contribute to the spatio-temporal dynamics of protein-protein interactions in a minimal proteome

We constructed and simulated a "minimal proteome" model using Langevin dynamics. It contains 206 essential protein types that were compiled from the literature. For comparison, we generated six proteomes with randomized concentrations. We found that the net charges and molecular weights of the proteins in the minimal genome are not random. The net charge of a protein decreases linearly with molecular weight, with small proteins being mostly positively charged and large proteins negatively charged. The protein copy numbers in the minimal genome have the tendency to maximize the number of protein-protein interactions in the network. Negatively charged proteins that tend to have larger sizes can provide a large collision cross-section allowing them to interact with other proteins; on the other hand, the smaller positively charged proteins could have higher diffusion speed and are more likely to collide with other proteins. Proteomes with random charge/mass populations form less stable clusters than those with experimental protein copy numbers. Our study suggests that "proper" populations of negatively and positively charged proteins are important for maintaining a protein-protein interaction network in a proteome. It is interesting to note that the minimal genome model based on the charge and mass of Escherichia coli may have a larger protein-protein interaction network than that based on the lower organism Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Quantitation of pH-induced aggregation in binary protein mixtures by dielectric spectroscopy

This paper presents a quantitative approach for measuring pH-controlled protein aggregation using dielectric spectroscopy. The technique is demonstrated through two aggregation experiments, the first between β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg) and hen lysozyme (HENL) and the second between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and HENL. In both experiments, the formation of aggregates is strongly dependent on the solution pH and is clearly indicated by a decrease in the measured permittivity when the second protein is added. A quantifiable lower-bound on the ratio of proteins involved in the aggregation process is obtained from the permittivity spectra. Lower-bound aggregation ratios of 83 % for β-Lg/HENL at pH 6.0 and 48 % for BSA/HENL at pH 9.2 were consistent with turbidity measurements made on the same solutions.

Spatial inhomogeneities in ionic liquids, charged proteins, and charge stabilized colloids from collective variables theory

Effects of size and charge asymmetry between oppositely charged ions or particles on spatial inhomogeneities are studied for a large range of charge and size ratios. We perform a stability analysis of the primitive model of ionic systems with respect to periodic ordering using the collective variables-based theory. We extend previous studies [Ciach et al., Phys. Rev. E 75, 051505 (2007)] in several ways. First, we employ a nonlocal approximation for the reference hard-sphere fluid which leads to the Percus-Yevick pair direct correlation functions for the uniform case. Second, we use the Weeks-Chandler-Anderson regularization scheme for the Coulomb potential inside the hard core. We determine the relevant order parameter connected with the periodic ordering and analyze the character of the dominant fluctuations along the λ lines. We show that the above-mentioned modifications produce large quantitative and partly qualitative changes in the phase diagrams obtained previously. We discuss possible scenarios of the periodic ordering for the whole range of size and charge ratios of the two ionic species, covering electrolytes, ionic liquids, charged globular proteins or nanoparticles in aqueous solutions, and charge-stabilized colloids.

Single component and selective competitive protein adsorption in a patchy polymer brush: opposition between steric repulsions and electrostatic attractions

This work explores the use of "patchy" polymer brushes to control protein adsorption rates on engineered surfaces and to bind targeted species from protein mixtures with high selectivity but without invoking molecular recognition. The brushes of interest contain embedded cationic "patches" composed of isolated adsorbed poly(l-lysine) coils (PLL) that are about 10 nm in diameter and are randomly arranged on a silica substrate. Around these patches is a protein-resistant poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) brush that is formed from the adsorption of a PLL-g-PEG graft copolymer on the remaining silica surface. Electrostatic attractions between individual cationic patches and the negative regions of approaching proteins may be energetically insufficient to bind proteins. Furthermore, protein-patch attractions are reduced by steric repulsions between proteins and the PEG brush. We show that protein adsorption, gauged by ultimate short-term coverages and by the initial protein adsorption rate, exhibits an adhesion threshold: pure PEG brushes of the architectures employed here and brushes containing sparse loadings of PLL patches do not adsorb protein. Above a critical PLL patch loading or threshold, protein adsorption proceeds, often dramatically. The PLL patch thresholds are specific to the protein of interest, allowing surfaces to be engineered to adhesively discriminate different proteins within a mixture. The separation achieved is remarkably sharp: one protein adsorbs, but the second is completely rejected from the interface. The surfaces in this study, by virtue of their well-controlled and well-characterized patchy nature, distinguish themselves from multicomponent brushes or brushes used to end-tether peptide sequences and nucleotides.