Temperature-correlated force and structure development in elastomeric polypeptides: the Ile1 analog of the polypentapeptide of elastin

Elasticity and Inverse Temperature Transition in Elastin

Elastin is a structural protein and biomaterial that provides elasticity and resilience to a range of tissues. This work provides insights into the elastic properties of elastin and its peculiar inverse temperature transition (ITT). These features are dependent on hydration of elastin and are driven by a similar mechanism of hydrophobic collapse to an entropically favorable state. Using neutron scattering, we quantify the changes in the geometry of molecular motions above and below the transition temperature, showing a reduction in the displacement of water-induced motions upon hydrophobic collapse at the ITT. We also measured the collective vibrations of elastin gels as a function of elongation, revealing no changes in the spectral features associated with local rigidity and secondary structure, in agreement with the entropic origin of elasticity.

Hierarchical and Modulable Hydrophobic Folding and Self-assembly in Elastic Protein-based Polymers: Implications for Signal Transduction

When the hydrophobic (apolar) and polar moieties of elastomeric polypeptides are properly balanced, the polypeptides are soluble in water at lower temperatures but undergo folding and assembly transitions to increased order on raising the temperature. The temperatures, Tt, and heats, ΔHt, of these inverse temperature transitions are determined by differential scanning calorimetry for a series of elastomeric polypentapeptides: poly(VPAVG), poly(IPAVG), poly(VPGVG), poly(IPGVG), poly[0.5(VPGVG),0.5(IPGVG)] and poly[0.82(IPGVG),0.18(IPGEG)] where V = Val, P = Pro, A = Ala, G = Gly, I = lle and E = Glu.

On increasing the hydrophobicity as when replacing V(Val) by I(lle) which is the addition of one CH2 moiety per pentamer, the temperature of the transition is lowered by 15 to 20°C and the heat of the transition is increased by more than one kcal/mole, for the above examples, by more than a factor of two.

When differential scanning calorimetry thermograms are obtained on mixtures of poly(VPAVG) plus poly(IPAVG) or of poly(VPGVG) plus poly(IPGVG), it is found that the polypentapeptides self-separate, i.e., they de-mix, even though in the latter case the conformations have been shown to be essentially identical before and after their respective transitions.

When the polymer, poly[0.82(IPGVG),0.18(IPGEG)], is studied as a function of pH, increasing the degree of ionization is found to increase the temperature and to decrease the heat of the transition such that, with the correct balance of I with the variable E(GluCOO−), the values of Tt and ΔHt can be made to approach those of poly(VPGVG). Acid-base titration studies indicate that less than one Glu(COO−) in 200 residues can raise the value of Tt by 25°C and decrease ΔHt by 90%.

These and additional data are interpreted to mean that there exists an hierarchical hydrophobic folding, that the hierarchical hydrophobic folding can be modulated by changing the degree of ionization or by changes in a number of intensive variables, that changes in these intensive variables can be used to drive folding/unfolding-assembly/disassembly transitions under isothermal conditions, and that these unfolding/folding and disassembly/assembly transitions can be used to achieve signal transduction. This is called the ΔTt mechanism of free energy (signal) transduction.

Properties And Prevention of Adhesions Applications of Bioelastic Materials

The origins, syntheses, variable composition and physical properties of bioelastic materials are discussed. The latter includes their capacity to undergo inverse temperature transitions to increased order on raising the temperature and to be designable to interconvert free energies involving the intensive variables of mechanical force, temperature, pressure, chemical potential, electrochemical potential and light.

Bioelastic materials include analogues and other chemical variations of the viscoelastic polypeptide, poly(Val-Pro-Gly-Val-Gly), and cross-linked elastomeric matrices thereof. This parent material has been shown to be remarkably biocompatible; it can be minimally modified to vary the rate of hydrolytic breakdown; it can contain enzymatically reactive sites; and it can have cell attachment sites included which promote excellent cell adhesion, spreading and growth to confluence.

One specific application is in the prevention of postoperative adhesion. There are some 30,000,000 per year surgical procedures in this country and a large portion of these would benefit if a suitable material were available for preventing adhesions. Bioelastic materials have been tested in a contaminated peritoneal model, and promising preliminary studies have been carried out in the rabbit eye model for strabismus surgery. In the peritoneal model, 90% of the 29 control animals exhibited significant adhesions; whereas, only 20% of the 29 animals using gas sterilized matrices had significant adhesions. On the basis of this data, it appears that cross-linked poly(VPGVG) is an effective physical barrier to adhesion formation in a trauma model with resulting hemorrhage and contamination.

The potential use of bioelastic materials as a pericardial substitute following the more than 400,000 open heart surgeries per year in the U.S. is under development beginning with the use of bioelastic matrices to prevent adhesions to the total artificial heart being used as a bridge to heart transplantation such that the site will be less compromised when receiving the donor heart.

Structure and dynamics of two elastin-like polypentapeptides studied by NMR spectroscopy

The structure and dynamics of two synthetic elastin-like polypentapeptides, poly(G(1)V(1)G(2)V(2)P) and poly(AV(1)GV(2)P), were studied in D(2)O and H(2)O at various temperatures by using (1)H, (2)H,(13)C, and (15)N NMR spectra, relaxations, and PGSE self-diffusivity measurement. Signal assignments were made using COSY, NOESY, HXCORR, HSQC, HMBC, and SSLR INEPT techniques. Temperature-induced conformation changes were studied using (3)J(NHCH) couplings, NOESY connectivity, chemical shifts, and signal intensities. Hydrodynamic radii were derived from self-diffusion coefficients measured by the pulsed-gradient spin-echo (PGSE) method. Selective hydration (hydrophilic or hydrophobic) was explored using NOESY and ROESY spectral methods and longitudinal and transverse (1)H relaxation of HOD and quadrupolar (2)H relaxation of D(2)O. Four different physical states were discerned in different temperature regions for both polymers: state I of a rather extended, statistically shaped and fully hydrated polymer below the critical temperature (approximately 299-300 K); state II, a relatively coiled and globular but disordered preaggregation state, developing in a rather narrow region, 300-303 K, in the case of poly(AV(1)GV(2)P) and in a broader region, overlapping with the next one, in poly(G(1)V(1)G(2)V(2)P); state III, a tightly coiled, more compact state in the region 303-313 K; and, finally, state IV, an aggregated (and eventually flocculating and sedimenting) state beyond 313 K. States II-IV coexist in varying proportions in the whole temperature range above 299 K. A structure characterized by a beta-turn stabilized by H-bonding between the Ala carbonyl and Val(2) NH groups of poly(AV(1)GV(2)P) was detected by NOESY just above the transition temperature. States II and III are progressively more stripped of their hydration sheath but retain some molecules of water confined and relatively immobilized in their coils.

Hydrophobicity scale for proteins based on inverse temperature transitions

In general, proteins fold with hydrophobic residues buried, away from water. Reversible protein folding due to hydrophobic interactions results from inverse temperature transitions where folding occurs on raising the temperature. Because homoiothermic animals constitute an infinite heat reservoir, it is the transition temperature, Tt, not the endothermic heat of the transition, that determines the hydrophobically folded state of polypeptides at body temperature. Reported here is a new hydrophobicity scale based on the values of Tt for each amino acid residue as a guest in a natural repeating peptide sequence, the high polymers of which exhibit reversible inverse temperature transitions. Significantly, a number of ways have been demonstrated for changing Tt such that reversibly lowering Tt from above to below physiological temperature becomes a means of isothermally and reversibly driving hydrophobic folding. Accordingly, controlling Tt becomes a mechanism whereby proteins can be induced to carry out isothermal free energy transduction.

Hydrophobicity-induced pK shifts in elastin protein-based polymers

Three polypentapeptides--poly[0.8(GVGVP), 0.2(GEGVP)], poly[0.8(GVGIP), 0.2(GEGIP)], and poly[0.75(GFGVP), 0.25(GEGVP)]--all analogues of the polypentapeptide of elastin--(Val1-Pro2-Gly3-Val4-Gly5)n or poly(VPGVG)--have been prepared to determine the effect of changing the hydrophobicity, i.e., Val1----Ile1 (I) and Val4----Phe4 (F), on the pKa and the temperature dependence of pKa of the Glu (E) residue. Shifts in pKa as large as 1.7 units are observed and the temperature dependence is much steeper for the structure-dependent proximity of the more hydrophobic Ile1 residues to the Glu4 residue. Even though this system is dominated by the inverse temperature transition of hydrophobically driven folding on raising the temperature, the effect of adding 0.15 N NaCl is to suppress the hydrophobicity-induced pKa shift.

Cell adhesion and growth on synthetic elastomeric matrices containing Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-3

Synthetic elastomeric polypeptide matrices based on the repeating amino acid sequences of elastin have biophysical and biological properties which are favorable for prosthetic materials. An important requirement envisaged for some applications is the ability to support cell adhesion and growth. The X20-poly-(GVGVP), the gamma-irradiation cross-linked elastomeric matrix based on the repeating pentamer Val-Pro-Gly-Val-Gly, and X20-poly[n(GVGVP), (GRGDSP)] containing the covalently incorporated cell adhesion sequence Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS) were synthesized. These matrices were tested for their ability to support the adhesion and growth of bovine aortic endothelial cells and of bovine ligamentum nuchae fibroblasts. Adhesion experiments carried out in albumin-containing media showed that matrices containing 60:1, 40:1, and 20:1 ratios of (GVGVP):(GRGDSP) supported maximal cell attachment, that matrices containing 100:1 exhibited an intermediate level of attachment and that matrices composed of 500:1 and (GVGVP) alone were very poor supports for cell attachment. Serum in the media promoted submaximal cell attachment to X20-poly(GVGVP) but did not permit substantial cell growth. Cell growth was supported by matrices having high ratios of (GRGDSP). Ratios of 60:1, 40:1, and 20:1 supported three population doublings of endothelial cells over 3 days resulting in confluent matrix-adherent monolayers. Ratios of 40:1 and 20:1 similarly supported the growth of fibroblasts.

Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation modulation of an inverse temperature transition

Poly[15(IPGVG),(RGYSLG)], where RGYSLG is a protein kinase site, was synthesized. On raising the temperature of a 5 mg/ml solution, this polypeptide undergoes an inverse temperature transition at 18 degrees C in which it folds into a contracted state by optimizing intramolecular hydrophobic interactions. Averaging the data of five experiments, phosphorylation by means of a 3':5' cyclic AMP dependent protein kinase to the extent of one phosphate in 360 residues raises the temperature of the folding transition to 32 degrees C. The shift is completely reversed on dephosphorylation by alkaline phosphatase. Phosphorylation is hereby shown to be the most potent chemical perturbation known for shifting the temperature of an inverse temperature transition, which has been shown to be an efficient mechanism for achieving chemomechanical transduction (mechanochemical coupling).

Differential scanning calorimetry studies of NaCl effect on the inverse temperature transition of some elastin-based polytetra-, polypenta-, and polynonapeptides

Differential scanning calorimetry studies of the effect of NaCl on protein-based polymer self-assembly has been carried out on six elastin-based synthetic sequential polypeptides--i.e., the polypentapeptide (L-Val1-L-Pro2-Gly3-L-Val4-Gly5)n and its more hydrophobic analogues (L-Leu1-L-Pro2-Gly3-L-Val4-Gly5)n and (L-Val1-L-Pro2-L-Ala3-L-Val4-Gly5)n; the polytetrapeptide (L-Val1-L-Pro2-Gly3-Gly4)n and its more hydrophobic analogue (L-Ile1-L-Pro2-Gly3-Gly4)n; and the polynonapeptide (a pentatetra hybrid), (L-Val1-L-Pro2-Gly3-L-Val4-Gly5-L-Val6-L-Pro7-Gly8-Gly9++ +)n. Previous physical characterizations of the polypentapeptides have demonstrated the occurrence of an inverse temperature transition since increase in order of the polypentapeptide, as the temperature is raised from below to above that of the transition, has been repeatedly observed using different physical characterizations. In the present experiments, it is observed that the transition temperatures of the polypeptides studied are linearly dependent on NaCl concentration. The molar effectiveness of NaCl in shifting the transition temperature delta Tm/[N], is about 14 degrees C/[N], with the dependence on peptide hydrophobicity being fairly small. Interestingly, however, the delta delta Q/[N] does depend on the hydrophobicity of a polypeptide.

Polypeptide models of elastin: CD and NMR studies on synthetic poly(X-Gly-Gly)

Poly(X-Gly-Gly), simple structural models for the hydrophobic, proline-devoid, regions of elastin, have been synthesized and studied by circular dichroism and NMR spectroscopies. The results gave evidence of type II beta-turns as the only ordered structure present in the polymers. The stability of the turns has been shown to decrease on hydration and to increase in the series Leu less than Ala less than Val less than Ile.

Differential scanning calorimetry studies of the inverse temperature transition of the polypentapeptide of elastin and its analogues

Differential scanning calorimetry studies have been carried out on the sequential polypeptide of elastin, (L-Val1-L-Pro2-Gly3-L-Val4-Gly5)n, abbreviated as PPP, and its more hydrophobic analogues (L-Leu1-L-Pro2-Gly3-L-Val4-Gly5)n, referred to as Leu1-PPP, and (L-Ile1-L-Pro2-Gly3-L-Val4-Gly5)n, referred to as Ile1-PPP Consistent with inverse temperature transitions, the temperatures of the transitions for which maximum heat absorption occurs are inversely proportional to the hydrophobicities of the polypentapeptides (31 degrees C for PPP, 16 degrees C for Leu1-PPP, and 12 degrees C for Ile1-PPP), and the endothermic heats of the transitions are small and increase with increasing hydrophobicity, i.e., 1.2, 2.9, and 3.0 kcal/mol pentamer for PPP, Leu1-PPP, and Ile1-PPP, respectively. Previous physical characterizations of the polypentapeptides have demonstrated the occurrence of an inverse temperature transition since increase in order, as the temperature is raised above that of the transition, has been repeatedly observed using different physical characterizations. Furthermore, the studies demonstrated identical conformations for PPP and Il21-PPP above and below the transition. Both heats and temperatures of the transitions vary with hydrophobicity, but not in simple proportionality.

A molecular dynamics investigation of the elastomeric restoring force in elastin

A repetitive polypentapeptide organized as a connected chain of beta-bends is believed to be an important structural element of elastin, the major elastomer in biological systems. Molecular dynamics simulations were carried out on hydrated polymers of (Val-Pro-Gly-Val- Gly)18 at various extensions. Analysis of the fluctuations of backbone angles in relaxed elastin showed that particularly large-amplitude torsional motions occur in phi and psi angles of residues connecting sequentially adjacent hairpin bends. Many such motions reflect peptide plane librations that result from anticorrelated crankshaft rotations of psi i and phi i+1. These effects were much reduced in stretched polymer models. The conformational entropy of relaxed and stretched elastin models was estimated using a treatment due to Meirovitch, and gave a calculated decrease in entropy of about 1 cal/mol deg when the polymer was stretched to 1.75 times its original length. There are large changes in solvent-accessible surface area during the initial stages of elastin stretching. Collectively these results suggest that hydrophobic interactions make contributions to elastin entropy at low extensions, but that librational mechanisms make larger contributions to the elastic restoring force at longer extensions.

Synthesis of 4% Glu-containing Val1 and Ile1-polypentapeptides: model protein systems for demonstrating mechanochemical coupling

The synthesis of 4% Glu-polypentapeptide (PPP) (i.e., 4 Glu residues per 100 amino acid residues) and 4% Glu-Ile1-PPP, in which Val1 is substituted by a more hydrophobic Ile residue, is carried out by copolymerizing the p-nitrophenyl-active esters of GE(OMe)GVP and GE(OMe)GIP with their parent pentamers GVGVP and GVGIP in 1:4 ratios, respectively. After removal of the methyl ester on the side chain of Glu, these polymers exhibited a remarkable pH dependence of the temperature for their inverse temperature transitions, which are followed as turbidity development at 300 nm. On gamma-irradiation crosslinking, the elastomeric bands obtained exhibited a pH-mediated contraction and relaxation. Thus, for the first time, mechanochemical coupling is demonstrated in a synthetic polypeptide system. That the basic mechanism involves the hydrophobic effect (chemical modulation of an inverse temperature transition) and not ion-ion electrostatic repulsion is also discussed.

Two-dimensional proton NMR studies on poly(VPGVG) and its cyclic conformational correlate, cyclo(VPGVG)3

Two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser enhancement (2D NOESY) data are reported for the polypentapeptide of elastin, poly(VPGVG), and the cyclopentadecapeptide, cyclo(VPGVG)3. In both, the repeating type II Pro2-Gly3 beta-turn can be derived from the NOE data, providing confirmation of many previous studies. In addition, other through-space connectivities are detailed that also compare favorably with previously determined crystal and solution structures for cyclo(VPGVG)3. Also, near identical data for the cyclopentadecapeptide and the polypentapeptide demonstrate the cyclic conformation-linear (helical) conformational correlate relationship between the two molecules. The 2D NOESY experiment is seen to be an effective means of establishing the presence or absence of a conformational relationship between a cyclic repeating sequence and its higher molecular weight linear counterpart. This is an approach of substantial practical value when developing the conformation of sequential polypeptides and when attempting to identify the presence of the conformation of a repeating peptide sequence within a more complex primary structure. Having established the basic conformational relationship between a cyclic conformation and its linear helical counterpart, cross peaks present in the linear helical structure that are not present in the cyclic conformational correlate can provide information on the interactions between adjacent turns of the helix. In this connection, a Val gamma CH3 in equilibrium Pro beta CH2 interaction is reported that can be the basis for determining the number of pentamers per turn of helix once it is determined whether it is dominantly the Val1 or Val4 gamma CH3 that is interacting with the Pro2 beta CH2.

pK shift of functional group in mechanochemical coupling due to hydrophobic effect: evidence for an apolar-polar repulsion free energy in water

In the sequential polypeptide poly[4(VPGVG),(VPGEG)] and its more hydrophobic analog poly[4(IPGVG),(IPGEG)] when the material is gamma-irradiation cross-linked to form an elastomeric matrix, mechanochemical coupling occurs on changing the pH, that is, motion and mechanical work are achieved by a change in proton chemical potential. The temperature dependence of aggregation at different pH values in phosphate buffered saline demonstrates the pK to be shifted approximately one pH unit higher for the more hydrophobic sequential polypeptide. The pH dependence of contraction or relaxation for each elastomer shows a similar shift. Data are reviewed and 2D-NMR data are presented which argue that the pK shift is not due to different conformations of the polypentapeptides. Specifically it is proposed that there exist a competition between carboxylates and hydrophobic side chains for mutually incompatible water structures; this results in an apolar-polar repulsion free energy in water with the difference in free energy reflecting the difference in the lle and Val hydrophobicities.

A method for fixation of elastin demonstrated by stress/strain characterization

In the process of examining the effects of oxidants on the mechanical properties of purified ligamentum nuchae elastin, it was found that sodium hypochlorite as constituted in Clorox will fix elastin at any preset extension. The treatments were carried out at a 1 to 5 dilution and at 0, 20 and 40% extensions. In each case, the new resting length was near the preset length and the elastic modulus increased remarkably, for example, from 1 to 5 x 10(7) dynes/cm2 for the sample preset at 20% extension. As reflected in the increased elastic modulus, the fixation was achieved by the formation of irreversible cross-links. Due to the near absence of side chains containing chemically reactive groups suitable for contributing to the formation of additional cross-links required in fixation, this is the first method whereby irreversible fixation of elastin has been achieved. The absence of a suitable fixative for elastic tissues such as lung, arteries, etc. has limited the microscopic characterization of functional extended states of these tissues.

Entropic elastic processes in protein mechanisms. I. Elastic structure due to an inverse temperature transition and elasticity due to internal chain dynamics

Numerous physical characterizations clearly demonstrate that the polypentapeptide of elastin (Val1-Pro2-Gly3-Val4-Gly5)n in water undergoes an inverse temperature transition. Increase in order occurs both intermolecularly and intramolecularly on raising the temperature from 20 to 40 degrees C. The physical characterizations used to demonstrate the inverse temperature transition include microscopy, light scattering, circular dichroism, the nuclear Overhauser effect, temperature dependence of composition, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation, dielectric relaxation, and temperature dependence of elastomer length. At fixed extension of the cross-linked polypentapeptide elastomer, the development of elastomeric force is seen to correlate with increase in intramolecular order, that is, with the inverse temperature transition. Reversible thermal denaturation of the ordered polypentapeptide is observed with composition and circular dichroism studies, and thermal denaturation of the crosslinked elastomer is also observed with loss of elastomeric force and elastic modulus. Thus, elastomeric force is lost when the polypeptide chains are randomized due to heating at high temperature. Clearly, elastomeric force is due to nonrandom polypeptide structure. In spite of this, elastomeric force is demonstrated to be dominantly entropic in origin. The source of the entropic elastomeric force is demonstrated to be the result of internal chain dynamics, and the mechanism is called the librational entropy mechanism of elasticity. There is significant application to the finding that elastomeric force develops due to an inverse temperature transition. By changing the hydrophobicity of the polypeptide, the temperature range for the inverse temperature transition can be changed in a predictable way, and the temperature range for the development of elastomeric force follows. Thus, elastomers have been prepared where the development of elastomeric force is shifted over a 40 degrees C temperature range from a midpoint temperature of 30 degrees C for the polypentapeptide to 10 degrees C by increasing hydrophobicity with addition of a single CH2 moiety per pentamer and to 50 degrees C by decreasing hydrophobicity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Temperature dependence of length of elastin and its polypentapeptide

Comparison of the temperature dependence of elastomer length of the cross-linked protein, elastin, and of gamma-irradiation cross-linked poly(VPGVG), the polypentapeptide of elastin, with that of latex rubber demonstrate markedly dissimilar behaviors between a classical rubber and the protein and polypeptide elastomers. In the absence of a load latex rubber expands with increasing temperature as is known for classical rubbers comprised of a network of random chains whereas the protein and polypeptide elastomers markedly decrease in length. When under load with a constant applied force, as a classical rubber, latex linearly decreases length with increasing temperature whereas the decrease in length is very non-linear with temperature increase for the protein and polypeptide elastomers. The protein and polypeptide elastomers examined here do not exhibit the characteristic and fundamental temperature dependence of length considered typical of networks of random chains. Accordingly the more complex and even inverse behavior of elastin and the polypentapeptide of elastin in the absence of load require consideration of structural perspectives different from those of a random chain network with negligible interchain interactions.