Iron biomineralization by mediation of clMagR/clCry4 protein contribute to T2 contrast enhanced in MRI
Recent findings have sparked great interest in MagR/Cry4 protein that underpin animal magnetoreception. We tried to make progress in characterizing the Columba livia clMagR/clCry4, and connecting its properties to biological impacts. Throughout natural evolution, new functions of protein were never constructed from scratch, but from pre-existing parts. The clMagR/clCry4 was certainly not an exception. By employing synthetic biology, protein heterologous expression approach allowed protein function to be borrowed from nature to study their new traits. We introduced clMagR/clCry4 into the natural bacteria constructing the recombinant bacteria that perform biomineralization process. Our current work efforts were focused on investigating iron biomineralization in clMagR/clCry4 using electron microscopy. This is only one study, thus far, that describes clMagR/clCry4 deem as a likely candidate as iron biomineralization protein. Notably, iron biomineralization brings clMagR/clCry4 closer to its potential magnetoreception. Additionally, the obtained iron biominerals have shown a great promise to serve as T 2 contrast agents for MRI application. We examined the ability of clMagR/clCry4 to mineralizing iron biominerals suitable for detection on MRI. The recombinant bacteria brings us closer to iron-mineralized cellular life. Prokaryotic E. coli , a microbial cell factory, was used as model organism and grown in rich iron exposed cultures at mineralize biominerals. It is hypothesized that that except for that clMagR/clCry4 have specifically been designed for iron biomineralization, clMagR and clCry4 are potentially involved in concerted processes. Accordingly, the formation of iron biominerals is a consequence of the associated proteins and exogenous iron co-contributed to mineralization. Going forward, inspiring mineralization by MagR/Cry4 could mean a big step forward in understanding the mechanism of magnetoreception. • This work provides the first report of clMagR/clCry4 deemed as a likely candidate as iron biomineralization protein. • As for clMagR/clCry4-mediated biomineralization, clMagR and clCry4 should not be ignored, nor the contributions ever perish. • Iron biomineralization by mediation of clMagR/clCry4 could give the clearer indications on a potential magnetoreception.
Authors
- Xiaoli Mai
- Fangxu Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4553-4121)
- Linyuan Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8079-1628)
- Nuan Li
- Peng Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2725-8760)
- Yuanyuan Xie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1128-2830)
- Bin Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7166-0482)
- Xiaofeng Han (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8400-8383)
Institutions
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital (CN)
- Southeast University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Colloids and Interface Science Communications
- Published
- 2024-12-04
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colcom.2024.100810
- Primary Topic
- Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Key Technologies Research and Development Program
- National Key Research and Development Program of China