Reconstruction of Dynamic and Reversible Color Change using Reflectin Protein

Abstract

Cephalopods have remarkable ability to change their body color across a wide range of wavelengths, yet the structural basis remains largely unknown. Reflectin, a protein family assumed to be responsible for structural color in cephalopods, has unique features of higher-order assembly that are tightly regulated by aromatic molecules. Here, we reconstructed the dynamic and reversible color change using purified reflectin protein and demonstrated how the conformational change and the status of assembly led to the change in optical properties. In addition, optical spectral and structural analyses indicated that the “cephalopod-blue” primarily resulted from wavelength-dependent light scattering rather than reflection. Our results suggest a possible role of reflectin in color dynamics. The in vitro reconstruction system we present here may serve as an initial step for designing bio-inspired optical materials based on reflectin protein.