Enhancement of hemostatic properties of Cyclotella cryptica frustule through genetic manipulation

Abstract

Background The silicified cell wall of diatoms, also known as frustule, shows huge potential as an outstanding bio-nanomaterial for hemostatic applications due to its high hemostatic efficiency, good biocompatibility, and ready availability. As the architectural features of the frustule determine its hemostatic performance, it is of great interest to develop an effective method to modify the frustule morphology into desired patterns to further improve hemostatic efficiency.Results In this study, the gene encoding Silicalemma Associated Protein 2 (a silicalemma-spanning protein) of Cyclotella cryptica (CcSAP2) was identified as a key gene in frustule morphogenesis. Thus, it was overexpressed (OE) and knocked down (KD), respectively. The frustule of the OE line showed no obvious alteration in morphology compared to the wild type (WT), while the size, specific surface area (BET), pore volume, and pore diameter of the KD strain changed greatly. Particularly, the KD frustules achieved a more pronounced coagulation effect and in vivo hemostatic performance than the WT strains. Such observations suggest that silicalemma proteins are ideal genetic encoding targets for manipulating frustule morphology and associated hemostatic properties. Furthermore, the Mantel test was adopted to identify the key morphologies associated with C. cryptica bleeding control. Finally, based on our results and recent advances, a silica coordinating assembly model was proposed.Conclusion This study explores a new strategy for enhancing the hemostatic efficiency of the frustule based on genetic morphology modification and may provide insights into a better understanding of the frustule morphogenesis mechanism.