Authors
Lulu Wang, Juan Yang, Xin Jiang, Zhanghui Zheng, Hongyu Wei, Na Li, Xiangqiang Chu, Weizhi Liu
Published in
Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany). Pages e76497. Jul 09, 2026. Epub Jul 09, 2026.
Abstract
Marine adhesive organisms commonly employ epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains for wet attachment, yet the molecular mechanisms guiding their self-assembly remain elusive. Here, we report a disulfide‑sticker strategy in the recombinant scallop adhesive protein Sbp9Δ. Dynamic disulfide bonds, acting synergistically with Ca2+ coordination, orchestrate the multiscale hierarchical self-assembly of Sbp9Δ by modulating its conformational heterogeneity. Spectroscopic and scattering analyses reveal that disulfide formation acts as a covalent sticker, rigidifying Sbp9Δ into β-sheet-rich rod-like nanostructures, which direct orderly aggregation into extensive two-dimensional networks. The resulting coating exhibits robust wet adhesion across diverse substrates, accompanied by intrinsic antioxidant activity. As a proof of concept, the biocompatible Sbp9Δ coating markedly promotes hair regeneration by enhancing angiogenesis, stimulating follicular cell proliferation, and effectively scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), exhibiting superior efficacy compared with minoxidil. In a mouse model of androgenetic alopecia, the Sbp9Δ coating activates the follicular niche through the upregulation of Wnt signaling and the downregulation of calcium signaling, leading to robust hair follicle activation. By integrating insights from marine biology, biophysics, and materials science, this work elucidates a disulfide-mediated assembly paradigm in marine adhesives and translates it into a functional strategy for hair regeneration.
PMID:
42423502
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 09 Jul 2026.
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