Bioadhesives: a biotechnological opportunity.

Marine mussels secrete the byssus in order to attach to solid surfaces and to survive under the turbulent effects of waves. The adhesive responsible for this attachment is the polyphenolic protein secreted by the phenol gland in the foot of the animal. To purify this adhesive protein from the chilean mussel Mylilus chilensis, a modification of previous procedures has been developed. Accordingly, the protein is differentially precipitated with acetone in the presence of 0.25 N HCl. The purified protein is rich in the amino acids lysine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, serine, threonine, proline and hydroxyproline. The protein exhibited strong adhesion to glass and other solid supports. Moreover, it has been found that the adhesive protein can mediate the immobilization of beta-galactosidase to glass. About 75% of the enzyme activity was immobilized under the experimental conditions described. This is the first study reporting the use of the polyphenolic protein to immobilize enzymes.