title: Adhesion of mussel foot proteins to different substrate surfaces.
abstract: Mussel foot proteins (mfps) have been investigated as a source of inspiration for the design of underwater coatings and adhesives. Recent analysis of various mfps by a surface forces apparatus (SFA) revealed that mfp-1 functions as a coating, whereas mfp-3 and mfp-5 resemble adhesive primers on mica surfaces. To further refine and elaborate the surface properties of mfps, the force-distance profiles of the interactions between thin mfp (i.e. mfp-1, mfp-3 or mfp-5) films and four different surface chemistries, namely mica, silicon dioxide, polymethylmethacrylate and polystyrene, were measured by an SFA. The results indicate that the adhesion was exquisitely dependent on the mfp tested, the substrate surface chemistry and the contact time. Such studies are essential for understanding the adhesive versatility of mfps and related/similar adhesion proteins, and for translating this versatility into a new generation of coatings and (including in vivo) adhesive materials.
authors.affiliation: Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Qingye
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Danner
authors.forename: J Herbert
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Waite
authors.forename: Jacob N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Israelachvili
authors.forename: Hongbo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Dong Soo
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Hwang
mesh_terms: D000268:Adhesiveness; D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002140:California; D008958:Models, Molecular; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D011137:Polystyrenes; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D012822:Silicon Dioxide
chemical_list: D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D011137:Polystyrenes; D011506:Proteins; C037403:adhesive protein, mussel; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; C011934:mica