F.A. de Wolf

Hydrogels of collagen-inspired telechelic triblock copolymers for the sustained release of proteins.

We studied the release of entrapped protein from transient gels made of thermosensitive, collagen-inspired ABA triblock copolymers with tailorable properties and with mid blocks of two different lengths (~37 kDa and ~73 kDa). These polymers were produced as heterologous proteins in recombinant yeast. By varying polymer length and concentration, the elastic properties of the hydrogels as well as their mesh size, swelling and erosion could be tuned. Whereas the volume of the investigated dense networks decreased in time as a result of temperature- and polymer concentration-dependent surface erosion, the release of entrapped protein was governed by a combination of gel erosion and protein diffusion. The prevalence of one or the other was strongly dependent on polymer concentration. Most importantly, the encapsulated protein was quantitatively released, which demonstrates that these hydrogels offer great potential as drug delivery systems.

Shape-Memory Effects in Biopolymer Networks with Collagen-Like Transient Nodes

In this article we study shape-memory behavior of hydrogels, formed by biodegradable and biocompatible recombinant telechelic polypeptides, with collagen-like end blocks and a random coil-like middle block. The programmed shape of these hydrogels was achieved by chemical cross-linking of lysine residues present in the random coil. This led to soft networks, which can be stretched up to 200% and pinned in a temporary shape by lowering the temperature and allowing the collagen-like end blocks to assemble into physical nodes. The deformed shape of the hydrogel can be maintained, at room temperature, for several days, or relaxed within a few minutes upon heating to 50 °C or higher. The presented hydrogels could return to their programmed shape even after several thermomechanical cycles, indicating that they remember the programmed shape. The kinetics of shape recovery at different temperatures was studied in more detail and analyzed using a mechanical model composed of two springs and a dashpot.

Biosynthesis of an amphiphilic silk-like polymer

An amphiphilic silk-like protein polymer was efficiently produced in the yeast Pichia pastoris. The secreted product was fully intact and was purified by solubilization in formic acid and subsequent precipitation of denatured host proteins upon dilution with water. In aqueous alkaline solution, the negatively charged acidic polymer assumed extended helical (silk III-like) and unordered conformations. Upon subsequent drying, it assumed a conformation rich in beta-turns. In water at low pH, the uncharged polymer aggregated and the solution became turbid. Concentrated solutions in 70% (v/v) formic acid slowly formed gels. Replacement of the formic acid-water mixture with methanol and subsequent drying resulted in beta-sheets, which stacked into fibril-like structures. The novel polymer instantaneously lowered the air-water interfacial tension under neutral to alkaline conditions and reversed the polarity of hydrophobic and hydrophilic solid surfaces upon adsorption.

Regiospecific effect of 1-octanol on cis-trans isomerization of unsaturated fatty acids in the solvent-tolerant strain Pseudomonas putida S12

Abstract. The solvent-tolerant bacterium Pseudomonas putida S12, which adapts its membrane lipids to the presence of toxic solvents by a cis to trans isomerization of unsaturated fatty acids, was used to study possible in vivo regiospecificity of the isomerase. Cells were supplemented with linoleic acid (C18:2Δ9-cis,Δ12-cis), a fatty acid that cannot be synthesized by this bacterium, but which was incorporated into membrane lipids up to an amount of 15% of total fatty acids. After addition of 1-octanol, which was used as an activator of the cis-trans isomerase, the linoleic acid was converted into the Δ9-trans,Δ12-cis isomer, while the Δ9-cis,Δ12-trans and Δ9-trans,Δ12-trans isomers were not synthesized. Thus, for the first time, regiospecific in vivo formation of novel, mixed cis/trans isomers of dienoic fatty acid chains was observed. The maximal conversion (27–36% of the chains) was obtained at 0.03–0.04% (v/v) octanol, after 2xa0h. The observed regiospecificity of the enzyme, which is located in the periplasmic space, could be due to penetration of the enzyme to a specific depth in the membrane as well as to specific molecular recognition of the substrate molecules.

Elastin-like polypeptides of different molecular weights show independent transition temperatures when mixed

Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) with varying degrees of polymerization were produced viaprotein engineering. Lower critical solution temperatures of aqueous solutions containing two or three of these different molecular weight ELPs were investigated. In contrast to elastin-based side-chain polymers (EBPs) linear polypeptides preserve their individual transition temperature upon mixing.

Tuning of Collagen Triple-Helix Stability in Recombinant Telechelic Polymers

The melting properties of various triblock copolymers with random coil middle blocks (100-800 amino acids) and triple helix-forming (Pro-Gly-Pro)(n) end blocks (n = 6-16) were compared. These gelatin-like molecules were produced as secreted proteins by recombinant yeast. The investigated series shows that the melting temperature (T(m)) can be genetically engineered to specific values within a very wide range by varying the length of the end block. Elongation of the end blocks also increased the stability of the helices under mechanical stress. The length-dependent melting free energy and T(m) of the (Pro-Gly-Pro)(n) helix appear to be comparable for these telechelic polymers and for free (Pro-Gly-Pro)(n) peptides. Accordingly, the T(m) of the polymers appeared to be tunable independently of the nature of the investigated non-cross-linking middle blocks. The flexibility of design and the amounts in which these nonanimal biopolymers can be produced (g/L range) create many possibilities for eventual medical application.

Multi-responsive physical gels formed by a biosynthetic asymmetric triblock protein polymer and a polyanion

We report the design, production and characterization of a biosynthetic asymmetric triblock copolymer which consists of one collagen-like and one cationic block spaced by a hydrophilic random coiled block. The polymer associates into micelles when a polyanion is added due to the electrostatic interaction between the cationic block and the polyanion. The collagen-like block self-assembles into thermo-responsive triple helices upon cooling. When both end blocks are induced to self-assemble, a physical gel is formed via thermo-responsive association of the charge-driven micelles. The self-assembly of both end blocks and the effects of salt and temperature thereon were characterized by light scattering and rheology.

Temperature-controlled positioning of fusion proteins in microreactors

We present a non-covalent immobilization system based on stimulus-responsive elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) to facilitate the positioning of proteins in microchannels. Two ELP variants were constructed and connected to fluorescent proteins EGFP and DsRed2. These fusion proteins display an inverse transition behavior that can be simply controlled by varying concentrations of NaCl. With these ELP fusion proteins two patches of fluorescent proteins can be formed inside a microreactor, using only the temperature-responsive property of ELPs.

Synergistic stiffening in double-fiber networks.

Many biological materials are composite structures, interpenetrating networks of different types of fibers. The composite nature of such networks leads to superior mechanical properties, but the origin of this mechanical synergism is still poorly understood. Here we study soft composite networks, made by mixing two self-assembling fiber-forming components. We find that the elastic moduli of the composite networks significantly exceed the sum of the moduli of the two individual networks. This mechanical enhancement is in agreement with recent simulations, where it was attributed to a suppression of non-affine deformation modes in the most rigid fiber network due to the reaction forces in the softer network. The increase in affinity also causes a loss of strain hardening and an increase in the critical stress and stain at which the network fails.