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Protein Corona Stability and Removal from PET Microplastics: Analytical and Spectroscopic Evaluation in Simulated Intestinal Conditions
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Researchers studied how proteins in the gut environment attach to PET microplastics and found that a persistent protein coating, called a corona, forms quickly and resists simple cleaning methods. Only specific combinations of oxidation with alkaline or surfactant treatments could effectively remove the protein layer without damaging the plastic itself. The findings are important because protein coronas change how microplastics interact with biological systems and can interfere with accurately detecting and analyzing these particles.
Microplastics entering the gastrointestinal environment rapidly acquire protein coronas that alter their surface chemistry and analytical detectability. We investigated the physicochemical interactions between fluorescently labeled bovine serum albumin (BSA) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics during simulated intestinal exposure and evaluated the stability of the resulting hard corona. Using fluorescence tracking, SDS-PAGE, and FTIR spectroscopy, we showed that BSA forms a persistent corona that resists oxidative-only treatments. Only a combination of oxidation with an alkaline (KOH) or surfactant step (SDS) effectively removed the corona. None of the protocols applied affected polymer integrity. Residual protein in less effective protocols did not show changes on PET spectra in ATR FTIR. To validate the protocol under physiologically relevant complexity, we extended it to PET incubated with single digestive enzymes. FTIR spectra confirmed the removal of protein-specific signals in both systems, with no degradation of PET ester or aromatic functional groups nor signals of protein-polymer interactions. Our results highlight the robustness of protein-PET interactions in biological conditions and provide a variety of protocols for protein corona removal, suitable for diverse applications of microplastic analysis and toxicological studies.
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Protein Corona Stability and Removal from PET Microplastics: Analytical and Spectroscopic Evaluation in Simulated Intestinal Conditions
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how proteins from intestinal fluids form a coating, called a corona, on PET microplastics and how stable that coating is under different cleaning treatments. They found that the protein corona is highly persistent and resists oxidative and surfactant treatments, with only a combined alkaline-surfactant protocol effectively removing it. The findings are important because protein coatings on microplastics can alter how the particles interact with biological tissues and may affect the accuracy of analytical detection methods.
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Researchers found that when microplastics encounter proteins in biological fluids, they get coated in a "protein corona" that depends heavily on the plastic's chemical additives, surface area, and how much it has been weathered in the environment. This coating changes how microplastics behave in the body, meaning toxicity studies need to account for these real-world surface changes.
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When microplastics enter biological fluids or protein-rich environments, proteins coat their surface to form a 'protein corona' that changes how the particles behave in living systems. This study explored how the physical and chemical properties of pristine versus weathered microplastics influence corona formation, finding that surface changes caused by environmental aging significantly alter protein binding. Understanding this process matters because the protein coat — not the plastic itself — is often what cells and organisms first encounter.
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Researchers examined how PET micro- and nanoplastics interact with pancreatin, a digestive enzyme, and found that the enzyme caused surface changes and chemical leaching from the plastic particles. Using spectroscopic and molecular docking techniques, they mapped how the plastics and enzyme bind together, forming a protein corona. The study suggests that digestive processes may alter microplastics in ways that could affect both their behavior in the body and their impact on gut bacteria.
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