Innovative surface bio-functionalization by fungal hydrophobins and their engineered variants

Abstract

Research on innovative surface functionalization strategies to develop materials with high added value is particularly challenging since this process is a crucial step in a wide range of fields (i.e., biomedical, biosensing, and food packaging). Up to now, the main applied derivatization methods require hazardous and poorly biocompatible reagents, harsh conditions of temperature and pressure, and are time consuming and cost effective. The discovery of biomolecules able to adhere by non-covalent bonds on several surfaces paves the way for their employment as a replacement of chemical processes. A simple, fast, and environment-friendly method of achieving modification of chemically inert surfaces is offered by hydrophobins, small amphiphilic proteins produced by filamentous fungi. Due to their structural characteristics, they form stable protein layers at interfaces, serving as anchoring points that can strongly bind molecules of interest. In addition, genetic engineering techniques allow the production of hydrophobins fused to a wide spectrum of relevant proteins, providing further benefits in term of time and ease of the process. In fact, it is possible to bio-functionalize materials by simply dip-casting, or by direct deposition, rendering them exploitable, for example, in the development of biomedical and biosensing platforms.

Main Factors Determining the Scale-Up Effectiveness of Mycoremediation for the Decontamination of Aliphatic Hydrocarbons in Soil

“…In addition to their apical growth, filamentous fungi obtain an additional opportunity to come into close contact with the contaminants from the excretion of hydrophobins, low molecular weight and amphiphilic proteins [38]. These proteins tend to form amphipathic layers at the interfaces, thus affecting the wettability of the surfaces and mediating both adhesion and surface modification [39].…”

Atividade sinérgica do antidepressivo sertralina associada a caspofungina contra >i<Trichophyton rubrum>/i< e avaliação dos mecanismos de resposta adaptativa

“…As hidrofobinas, são proteínas ricas em cisteína, elas reduzem a tensão superficial da água e auxiliam na adesão do fungo (Tanaka et al, 2022). As hidrofobinas são secretadas apenas por fungos filamentosos, além de ser bastante conservadas nesses organismos (Stanzione et al, 2022;Tanaka et al, 2022).…”