Recombinant mussel protein Pvfp5β enhances cell adhesion of poly(vinyl alcohol)/k-carrageenan hydrogel scaffolds

Abstract

Polymeric hydrogels are increasingly being considered as a scaffold for tissue engineering because they show similarity to the extracellular matrix (ECM) of many tissues. To control various cellular processes, hydrogels are often functionalized or loaded with various bioactive molecules such as: specific ligands for adhesion receptors, growth factors, hormones, enzymes, and other natural or synthetic regulators of cellular behavior [1]. Cell adhesion is essential for cell communication and regulation of the cell cycle and is therefore of vital importance in tissue engineering. Biomimetic approaches have been investigated to facilitate cell-scaffold adhesion interactions. In particular, the recombinant mussel Perna viridis foot protein 5β (Pvfp5β) was developed. Mussel adhesion is made possible by the secretion of a waterproof protein-based adhesive composed of a mixture of proteins called mussel adhesive protein (MAP) or mussel foot protein (mfps). This allows it to be fixed to almost any type of surface when wet [2]. In this work, a two-step physical gelling process is used to create hydrogel scaffolds with a 50 wt% mixture of k-carrageenan (kC) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), which are coated with Pvfp5β. The mechanical and morphological properties of hydrogels were investigated both after conditioning in a typical cell culture medium and after coating with Pvfp5β. The protein was strongly adsorbed on the surface of the hydrogel and, as shown by confocal analysis, was able to interact primarily with the kC component of the scaffold and penetrate into it to some depth. NIH-3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblasts were seeded in hydrogel and cultured for up to 2 weeks. The role of Pvfp5β in promoting cell adhesion, diffusion and colonization of scaffolds was verified. References [1] H. W. Ooi, S. Hafeez, C. A. van Blitterswijk, L. Moroni, and M. B. Baker, Mater. Horiz., 2017, 4 (6), 1020–40. [2] Y. He, C. Sun, F. Jiang, B. Yang, J. Li, C. Zhong, L. Zheng, H. Ding, Soft Matter, 2018, 14, 7145–7154,