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Chatterjee A, Pratakshya P, Kwansa AL, Kaimal N, Cannon AH, Sartori B, Marmiroli B, Orins H, Feng Z, Drake S, Couvrette J, Le L, Bernstorff S, Yingling YG, Gorodetsky AA. Squid Skin Cell-Inspired Refractive Index Mapping of Cells, Vesicles, and Nanostructures. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2023; 9:978-990. [PMID: 36692450 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c00088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The fascination with the optical properties of naturally occurring systems has been driven in part by nature's ability to produce a diverse palette of vibrant colors from a relatively small number of common structural motifs. Within this context, some cephalopod species have evolved skin cells called iridophores and leucophores whose constituent ultrastructures reflect light in different ways but are composed of the same high refractive index material─a protein called reflectin. Although such natural optical systems have attracted much research interest, measuring the refractive indices of biomaterial-based structures across multiple different environments and establishing theoretical frameworks for accurately describing the obtained refractive index values has proven challenging. Herein, we employ a synergistic combination of experimental and computational methodologies to systematically map the three-dimensional refractive index distributions of model self-assembled reflectin-based structures both in vivo and in vitro. When considered together, our findings may improve understanding of squid skin cell functionality, augment existing methods for characterizing protein-based optical materials, and expand the utility of emerging holotomographic microscopy techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atrouli Chatterjee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Preeta Pratakshya
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Albert L Kwansa
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Nikhil Kaimal
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Andrew H Cannon
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Barbara Sartori
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, Graz 8010, Austria
| | - Benedetta Marmiroli
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, Graz 8010, Austria
| | - Helen Orins
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Zhijing Feng
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Samantha Drake
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Justin Couvrette
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - LeAnn Le
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | | | - Yaroslava G Yingling
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Alon A Gorodetsky
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
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Song J, Li B, Zeng L, Ye Z, Wu W, Hu B. A Mini-Review on Reflectins, from Biochemical Properties to Bio-Inspired Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232415679. [PMID: 36555320 PMCID: PMC9779258 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232415679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Some cephalopods (squids, octopuses, and cuttlefishes) produce dynamic structural colors, for camouflage or communication. The key to this remarkable capability is one group of specialized cells called iridocytes, which contain aligned membrane-enclosed platelets of high-reflective reflectins and work as intracellular Bragg reflectors. These reflectins have unusual amino acid compositions and sequential properties, which endows them with functional characteristics: an extremely high reflective index among natural proteins and the ability to answer various environmental stimuli. Based on their unique material composition and responsive self-organization properties, the material community has developed an impressive array of reflectin- or iridocyte-inspired optical systems with distinct tunable reflectance according to a series of internal and external factors. More recently, scientists have made creative attempts to engineer mammalian cells to explore the function potentials of reflectin proteins as well as their working mechanism in the cellular environment. Progress in wide scientific areas (biophysics, genomics, gene editing, etc.) brings in new opportunities to better understand reflectins and new approaches to fully utilize them. The work introduced the composition features, biochemical properties, the latest developments, future considerations of reflectins, and their inspiration applications to give newcomers a comprehensive understanding and mutually exchanged knowledge from different communities (e.g., biology and material).
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyi Song
- Correspondence: (J.S.); (B.H.); Tel.: +86-18969697729 (J.S.); +86-13308492461 (B.H.)
| | | | | | | | | | - Biru Hu
- Correspondence: (J.S.); (B.H.); Tel.: +86-18969697729 (J.S.); +86-13308492461 (B.H.)
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Torres-Huerta AL, Antonio-Pérez A, García-Huante Y, Alcázar-Ramírez NJ, Rueda-Silva JC. Biomolecule-Based Optical Metamaterials: Design and Applications. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:962. [PMID: 36354471 PMCID: PMC9688573 DOI: 10.3390/bios12110962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Metamaterials are broadly defined as artificial, electromagnetically homogeneous structures that exhibit unusual physical properties that are not present in nature. They possess extraordinary capabilities to bend electromagnetic waves. Their size, shape and composition can be engineered to modify their characteristics, such as iridescence, color shift, absorbance at different wavelengths, etc., and harness them as biosensors. Metamaterial construction from biological sources such as carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids represents a low-cost alternative, rendering high quantities and yields. In addition, the malleability of these biomaterials makes it possible to fabricate an endless number of structured materials such as composited nanoparticles, biofilms, nanofibers, quantum dots, and many others, with very specific, invaluable and tremendously useful optical characteristics. The intrinsic characteristics observed in biomaterials make them suitable for biomedical applications. This review addresses the optical characteristics of metamaterials obtained from the major macromolecules found in nature: carbohydrates, proteins and DNA, highlighting their biosensor field use, and pointing out their physical properties and production paths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Laura Torres-Huerta
- Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Estado de México, Av. Lago de Guadalupe KM 3.5, Margarita Maza de Juárez, Cd. López Mateos, Atizapán de Zaragoza 52926, Mexico
| | - Aurora Antonio-Pérez
- Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Estado de México, Av. Lago de Guadalupe KM 3.5, Margarita Maza de Juárez, Cd. López Mateos, Atizapán de Zaragoza 52926, Mexico
| | - Yolanda García-Huante
- Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria en Ingeniería y Tecnologías Avanzadas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional (UPIITA-IPN), Mexico City 07340, Mexico
| | - Nayelhi Julieta Alcázar-Ramírez
- Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Estado de México, Av. Lago de Guadalupe KM 3.5, Margarita Maza de Juárez, Cd. López Mateos, Atizapán de Zaragoza 52926, Mexico
| | - Juan Carlos Rueda-Silva
- Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Estado de México, Av. Lago de Guadalupe KM 3.5, Margarita Maza de Juárez, Cd. López Mateos, Atizapán de Zaragoza 52926, Mexico
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
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At the Intersection of Natural Structural Coloration and Bioengineering. Biomimetics (Basel) 2022; 7:biomimetics7020066. [PMID: 35645193 PMCID: PMC9149877 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics7020066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Most of us get inspired by and interact with the world around us based on visual cues such as the colors and patterns that we see. In nature, coloration takes three primary forms: pigmentary coloration, structural coloration, and bioluminescence. Typically, pigmentary and structural coloration are used by animals and plants for their survival; however, few organisms are able to capture the nearly instantaneous and visually astounding display that cephalopods (e.g., octopi, squid, and cuttlefish) exhibit. Notably, the structural coloration of these cephalopods critically relies on a unique family of proteins known as reflectins. As a result, there is growing interest in characterizing the structure and function of such optically-active proteins (e.g., reflectins) and to leverage these materials across a broad range of disciplines, including bioengineering. In this review, I begin by briefly introducing pigmentary and structural coloration in animals and plants as well as highlighting the extraordinary appearance-changing capabilities of cephalopods. Next, I outline recent advances in the characterization and utilization of reflectins for photonic technologies and and discuss general strategies and limitations for the structural and optical characterization of proteins. Finally, I explore future directions of study for optically-active proteins and their potential applications. Altogether, this review aims to bring together an interdisciplinary group of researchers who can resolve the fundamental questions regarding the structure, function, and self-assembly of optically-active protein-based materials.
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Loke JJ, Hoon S, Miserez A. Cephalopod-Mimetic Tunable Photonic Coatings Assembled from Quasi-Monodispersed Reflectin Protein Nanoparticles. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:21436-21452. [PMID: 35476418 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c01999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The remarkable dynamic camouflage ability of cephalopods arises from precisely orchestrated structural changes within their chromatophores and iridophores photonic cells. This mesmerizing color display remains unmatched in synthetic coatings and is regulated by swelling/deswelling of reflectin protein nanoparticles, which alters platelet dimensions in iridophores to control photonic patterns according to Bragg's law. Toward mimicking the photonic response of squid's skin, reflectin proteins from Sepioteuthis lessioniana were sequenced, recombinantly expressed, and self-assembled into spherical nanoparticles by conjugating reflectin B1 with a click chemistry ligand. These quasi-monodisperse nanoparticles can be tuned to any desired size in the 170-1000 nm range. Using Langmuir-Schaefer and drop-cast deposition methods, ligand-conjugated reflectin B1 nanoparticles were immobilized onto azide-functionalized substrates via click chemistry to produce monolayer amorphous photonic structures with tunable structural colors based on average particle size, paving the way for the fabrication of eco-friendly, bioinspired color-changing coatings that mimic cephalopods' dynamic camouflage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Jie Loke
- Centre for Sustainable Materials (SusMat), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Shawn Hoon
- Molecular Engineering Lab, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Ali Miserez
- Centre for Sustainable Materials (SusMat), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore 639798, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore 637551, Singapore
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Wolde-Michael E, Roberts AD, Heyes DJ, Dumanli AG, Blaker JJ, Takano E, Scrutton NS. Design and fabrication of recombinant reflectin-based multilayer reflectors: bio-design engineering and photoisomerism induced wavelength modulation. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14580. [PMID: 34272457 PMCID: PMC8285536 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94042-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The remarkable camouflage capabilities of cephalopods have inspired many to develop dynamic optical materials which exploit certain design principles and/or material properties from cephalopod dermal cells. Here, the angle-dependent optical properties of various single-layer reflectin thin-films on Si wafers are characterized within the UV-Vis-NIR regions. Following this, initial efforts to design, fabricate, and optically characterize a bio-inspired reflectin-based multilayer reflector is described, which was found to conserve the optical properties of single layer films but exhibit reduced angle-dependent visible reflectivity. Finally, we report the integration of phytochrome visible light-induced isomerism into reflectin-based films, which was found to subtly modulate reflectin thin-film reflectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Wolde-Michael
- Department of Chemistry, EPSRC/BBSRC Future Biomanufacturing Research Hub, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Aled D Roberts
- Department of Chemistry, EPSRC/BBSRC Future Biomanufacturing Research Hub, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Derren J Heyes
- Department of Chemistry, EPSRC/BBSRC Future Biomanufacturing Research Hub, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Ahu G Dumanli
- Department of Materials and Henry Royce Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Jonny J Blaker
- Department of Materials and Henry Royce Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Eriko Takano
- Department of Chemistry, EPSRC/BBSRC Future Biomanufacturing Research Hub, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Nigel S Scrutton
- Department of Chemistry, EPSRC/BBSRC Future Biomanufacturing Research Hub, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK.
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