The widespread adoption of fast fashion has led to a significant waste problem associated with discarded textiles. Using proteins to color textiles can serve as a sustainable alternative to chemical dyes as well as reduce the demand for new raw materials. Here, we explore the use of chromogenic fusion proteins, consisting of a chromoprotein and a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM), as coloring agents for cellulose-based textiles such as cotton. We examined the color properties of chromoproteins AeBlue, SpisPink and Ultramarine alone and fused to CBM under various conditions. AeBlue, SpisPink and Ultramarine exhibited visible color between pH 4-9 and temperatures ranging from 4 to 45℃. Fusing CBM Clos from Clostridium thermocellum and CBM Ch2 from Trichoderma reesei to the chromoproteins had no effect on the chromoprotein color properties. Furthermore, binding assays showed that chromoprotein fusions did not affect binding of CBMs to cellulosic materials. Cotton samples bound with Ultramarine-Clos exhibited visible purple color that faded progressively over time as the samples dried. Applying 10% 8000 polyethylene glycol to cotton samples markedly preserved the color over extended periods. Overall, this work highlights the potential of chromoprotein-CBM fusions for textile dying which could be applied as a color maintenance technology or for reversible coloring of textiles for events or work wear, contributing to sustainable practices and introducing new creative opportunities for the industry.

中文翻译：

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显色融合蛋白作为替代纺织品染料


快时尚的广泛采用导致了与废弃纺织品相关的严重浪费问题。使用蛋白质为纺织品着色可以作为化学染料的可持续替代品，并减少对新原材料的需求。在这里，我们探索使用由色蛋白和碳水化合物结合模块 (CBM) 组成的显色融合蛋白作为纤维素基纺织品（如棉花）的着色剂。我们单独检查了色素蛋白 AeBlue、SpisPink 和群青以及在各种条件下与 CBM 融合的颜色特性。 AeBlue、SpisPink 和群青在 pH 4-9 和温度 4 至 45℃ 范围内呈现可见颜色。将来自热纤梭菌的 CBM Clos 和来自里氏木霉的 CBM Ch2 与色素蛋白融合对色素蛋白的颜色特性没有影响。此外，结合测定表明，色蛋白融合不影响 CBM 与纤维素材料的结合。与群青-Clos 结合的棉花样品呈现出可见的紫色，随着样品干燥，该颜色逐渐褪色。将 10% 8000 聚乙二醇应用于棉花样品可在较长时间内显着保持颜色。总体而言，这项工作凸显了色蛋白-CBM融合在纺织品染色方面的潜力，它可以用作颜色维护技术或用于活动或工作服纺织品的可逆染色，有助于可持续实践并为该行业带来新的创意机会。