Wettability and Adhesion of Synthetic Marine Adhesive Proteins and Related Model Compounds

Abstract

Wettability on substrates with low and high surface energies using synthetic marine adhesive proteins and related model compounds containing Lys has been investigated to evaluate the role of individual amino acids together with the sequences in marine adhesive proteins. Among sequential polypeptides, those containing Gly and Lys exhibited higher work of adhesion in four different substrates. The important role of Gly and Lys residues in the adhesive protein models suggests that mussel adhesives have a meaningful primary structure adhering on substrates. The polysaccharide chitosan adhered faster than marine adhesive proteins in water. Biological adhesion of goby fish sperm on the glass plate exhibited marked adhesion activity due to the Lys residues in the precoated marine adhesive proteins.