Hydrophobic enhancement of Dopa-mediated adhesion in a mussel foot protein.

Dopa (3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) is recognized as a key chemical signature of mussel adhesion and has been adopted into diverse synthetic polymer systems. Dopa's notorious susceptibility to oxidation, however, poses significant challenges to the practical translation of mussel adhesion. Using a surface forces apparatus to investigate the adhesion of mussel foot protein 3 (Mfp3) "slow", a hydrophobic protein variant of the Mfp3 family in the plaque, we have discovered a subtle molecular strategy correlated with hydrophobicity that appears to compensate for Dopa instability.

Changing environments and structure--property relationships in marine biomaterials.

Most marine organisms make functional biomolecular materials that extend to varying degrees 'beyond their skins'. These materials are very diverse and include shells, spines, frustules, tubes, mucus trails, egg capsules and byssal threads, to mention a few. Because they are devoid of cells, these materials lack the dynamic maintenance afforded intra-organismic tissues and thus are usually assumed to be inherently more durable than their internalized counterparts.

Mineral minimization in nature's alternative teeth.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, mineralization is not the only strategy evolved for the formation of hard, stiff materials. Indeed, the sclerotized mouthparts of marine invertebrates exhibit Young's modulus and hardness approaching 10 and 1 GPa, respectively, with little to no help from mineralization. Based on biochemical analyses, three of these mouthparts, the jaws of glycerid and nereid polychaetes and a squid beak, reveal a largely organic composition dominated by glycine- and histidine-rich proteins.