1
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Landfield H, Wang M. Diffusive Trends in Concentrated Oppositely-Charged Polyelectrolyte Solutions and Onset of Glassy Dynamics. ACS Macro Lett 2024:1164-1170. [PMID: 39159010 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.4c00378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
We utilize single particle tracking studies to investigate the diffusion of polylysine through concentrated matrices of cationic polylysine and anionic polyglutamic acid with no added salts. These studies show that diffusivity has a strong apparently exponential dependence on concentration in crowded systems that does not appear to be a function of the charge sign. These trends are consistent in both single-phase systems prepared at concentrated conditions and polymer-rich coacervate phases formed from dilute phase-separating systems. The likely origin of this behavior is the onset of glassy dynamics spurred by a decrease in plasticization by water and the large excluded volume associated with charge-bearing species. This effect can be contextualized through free volume-based theories such as the Vrentas-Duda model. Overall, we obtain dynamic behavior that is distinctly different from behavior observed in more dilute systems and warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harrison Landfield
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Muzhou Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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2
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Hong Y, Yoo S, Han J, Kim J, Lee Y, Jho Y, Kim YS, Hwang DS. Influence of the backbone chemistry and ionic functional groups of five pairs of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes on complex coacervation. Commun Chem 2024; 7:182. [PMID: 39147800 PMCID: PMC11327326 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-024-01271-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Complex coacervation plays an important role in various fields. Here, the influences of the backbone chemistry and ionic functional groups of five pairs of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes on complex coacervation were investigated. These pairs include synthetic polymers with aliphatic hydrocarbon backbones, peptides with amide bonds, and carbohydrates with glycosidic linkages. Despite sharing identical charged groups, specific pairs displayed distinct liquid/liquid and liquid/solid phase separations depending on the polyelectrolyte mixing ratio, buffer, and ionic strength. The coacervate phase boundary broadened in the orders: glycosidic linkages > amide backbone > aliphatic hydrocarbon backbone, and Tris-phosphate > Tris-acetate > Tris-chloride buffers. Coacervates prepared from polyelectrolytes with lower solubilities in water resisted disassembly at high salt concentrations, and their merge rate was slow. These observations suggest that the hydrophobic segments in polyelectrolytes interfere with the formation of complex coacervates; however, following coacervate formation, the hydrophobic segments render the coacervates stable and elastic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Hong
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Republic of Korea
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Surim Yoo
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihoon Han
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Junseong Kim
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Republic of Korea
- Department of Physics and and Research Institute of Molecular Alchemy, Gyeongsang National University (GNU), Jinju, Republic of Korea
| | - Yongjin Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Seoul National University (SNU), Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - YongSeok Jho
- Department of Physics and and Research Institute of Molecular Alchemy, Gyeongsang National University (GNU), Jinju, Republic of Korea
| | - Youn Soo Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Republic of Korea.
| | - Dong Soo Hwang
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Republic of Korea.
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Republic of Korea.
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3
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Vogelaar T, Szostak SM, Lund R. Coacervation in Slow Motion: Kinetics of Complex Micelle Formation Induced by the Hydrolysis of an Antibiotic Prodrug. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:4157-4168. [PMID: 39011839 PMCID: PMC11304390 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.4c00579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Colistin methanesulfonate (CMS) is the less-toxic prodrug of highly nephrotoxic colistin. To develop and understand highly necessary new antibiotic formulations, the hydrolysis of CMS to colistin must be better understood. Herein, with the addition of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(methacrylic acid) (PEO-b-PMAA) to CMS, we show that we can follow the hydrolysis kinetics, employing small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) through complex coacervation. During this hydrolysis, hydroxy methanesulfonate (HMS) groups from CMS are cleaved, while the newly formed cationic amino groups complex with the anionic charge from the PMAA block. As the hydrolysis of HMS groups is slow, we can follow the complex coacervation process by the gradual formation of complex micelles containing activated antibiotics. Combining mass spectrometry (MS) with SAXS, we quantify the hydrolysis as a function of pH. Upon modeling the kinetic pathways, we found that complexation only happens after complete hydrolysis into colistin and that the process is accelerated under acidic conditions. At pH = 5.0, effective charge switching was identified as the slowest step in the CMS conversion, constituting the rate-limiting step in colistin formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas
D. Vogelaar
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1033 Blindern, Oslo NO-0315, Norway
| | - Szymon M. Szostak
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1033 Blindern, Oslo NO-0315, Norway
| | - Reidar Lund
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1033 Blindern, Oslo NO-0315, Norway
- Hylleraas
Centre for Quantum Molecular Sciences, University
of Oslo, Oslo NO-0315, Norway
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4
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Tian Y, Hu Q, Sun Z, Yu Y, Li X, Tian T, Bi X, Li Y, Niu B, Zhang Z. Colon Targeting pH-Responsive Coacervate Microdroplets for Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2311890. [PMID: 38577919 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202311890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Ulcerative colitis (UC), an immune-mediated chronic inflammatory disease, drastically impacts patients' quality of life and increases their risk of colorectal cancer worldwide. However, effective oral targeted delivery and retention of drugs in colonic lesions are still great challenges in the treatment of UC. Coacervate microdroplets, formed by liquid-liquid phase separation, are recently explored in drug delivery as the simplicity in fabrication, spontaneous enrichment on small molecules and biological macromolecules, and high drug loading capacity. Herein, in this study, a biocompatible diethylaminoethyl-dextran hydrochloride/sodium polyphenylene sulfonate coacervates, coated with eudragit S100 to improve the stability and colon targeting ability, named EU-Coac, is developed. Emodin, an active ingredient in traditional Chinese herbs proven to alleviate UC symptoms, is loaded in EU-Coac (EMO@EU-Coac) showing good stability in gastric acid and pepsin and pH-responsive release behavior. After oral administration, EMO@EU-Coac can effectively target and retain in the colon, displaying good therapeutic effects on UC treatment through attenuating inflammation and oxidative stress response, repairing colonic epithelia, as well as regulating intestinal flora balance. In short, this study provides a novel and facile coacervate microdroplet delivery system for UC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinmei Tian
- Tongji School of Pharmacy, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Qian Hu
- Tongji School of Pharmacy, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Zhengjun Sun
- Tongji School of Pharmacy, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yulin Yu
- Tongji School of Pharmacy, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Xiaonan Li
- Tongji School of Pharmacy, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Tianyi Tian
- Tongji School of Pharmacy, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Xinying Bi
- Tongji School of Pharmacy, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yang Li
- Tongji School of Pharmacy, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Boning Niu
- Tongji School of Pharmacy, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Zhiping Zhang
- Tongji School of Pharmacy, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- Hubei Engineering Research Centre for Novel Drug Delivery System, Wuhan, 430030, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
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5
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Pispas I, Spiliopoulos N, Papagiannopoulos A. Biocompatible Preparation of Beta-Lactoglobulin/Chondroitin Sulfate Carrier Nanoparticles and Modification of Their Colloidal and Hydropathic Properties by Tween 80. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:1995. [PMID: 39065312 PMCID: PMC11280915 DOI: 10.3390/polym16141995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The electrostatic complexation of the protein beta-lactoglobulin (β-LG) with the anionic polysaccharide chondroitin sulfate (CS) and the subsequent stabilization by thermal treatment were studied to achieve the well-defined nanoparticles (NPs). The formation of the well-defined NPs was obtained at pH 4 with a hydrodynamic radius from 60 to 80 nm. NP aggregation was observed at pH 1.5 because of the loss of the anionic charge of chondroitin sulfate on the surface of the NPs. After thermal treatment, the NPs exhibited stability against a pH increase to pH 7 while a stronger aggregation at pH 1.5 was observed. Core-shell structures were found at pH 7 after thermal treatment, indicating a possible mechanism of partial disintegration. The addition of Tween 80 (T80) before thermal treatment led to the formation of T80 self-assemblies inside the NPs. This caused an increase in the hydrophobicity of the inner and outer surfaces of the NPs as it was observed by fluorescence spectroscopy. The ζ-potential of the complexes and NPs was about -20 mV while the presence of T80 did not affect it. FTIR spectra verified changes of the secondary structure of β-LG in its complexes with CS and T80. The thermally treated NPs exhibited high surface and overall hydrophobicity and stability in high salinity and biocompatible solutions. The thermally treated NPs showed colloidal and physicochemical stability for 1 month, which were enhanced by the addition of T80. Due to the nature of the precursors and their colloidal properties, the NPs are highly promising for applications as biocompatible drug delivery nanocarriers while T80 acts as an agent to modify their properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Pispas
- Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, 11635 Athens, Greece;
| | | | - Aristeidis Papagiannopoulos
- Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, 11635 Athens, Greece;
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6
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Vogelaar T, Agger AE, Reseland JE, Linke D, Jenssen H, Lund R. Crafting Stable Antibiotic Nanoparticles via Complex Coacervation of Colistin with Block Copolymers. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:4267-4280. [PMID: 38886154 PMCID: PMC11238337 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
To combat the ever-growing increase of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, action must be taken in the development of antibiotic formulations. Colistin, an effective antibiotic, was found to be nephrotoxic and neurotoxic, consequently leading to a ban on its use in the 1980s. A decade later, colistin use was revived and nowadays used as a last-resort treatment against Gram-negative bacterial infections, although highly regulated. If cytotoxicity issues can be resolved, colistin could be an effective option to combat MDR bacteria. Herein, we investigate the complexation of colistin with poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(methacrylic acid) (PEO-b-PMAA) block copolymers to form complex coacervate core micelles (C3Ms) to ultimately improve colistin use in therapeutics while maintaining its effectiveness. We show that well-defined and stable micelles can be formed in which the cationic colistin and anionic PMAA form the core while PEO forms a protecting shell. The resulting C3Ms are in a kinetically arrested and stable state, yet they can be made reproducibly using an appropriate experimental protocol. By characterization through dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), we found that the best C3M formulation, based on long-term stability and complexation efficiency, is at charge-matching conditions. This nanoparticle formulation was compared to noncomplexed colistin on its antimicrobial properties, enzymatic degradation, serum protein binding, and cytotoxicity. The studies indicate that the antimicrobial properties and cytotoxicity of the colistin-C3Ms were maintained while protein binding was limited, and enzymatic degradation decreased after complexation. Since colistin-C3Ms were found to have an equal effectivity but with increased cargo protection, such nanoparticles are promising components for the antibiotic formulation toolbox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas
D. Vogelaar
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1033, Blindern, NO-0315 Oslo, Norway
| | - Anne E. Agger
- Department
of Biomaterials, Institute of Clinical Dentistry, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1109, Blindern, NO-0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Janne E. Reseland
- Department
of Biomaterials, Institute of Clinical Dentistry, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1109, Blindern, NO-0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Dirk Linke
- Department
of Biosciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066, Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Håvard Jenssen
- Department
of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Reidar Lund
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1033, Blindern, NO-0315 Oslo, Norway
- Hylleraas
Centre for Quantum Molecular Sciences, University
of Oslo, NO-0315 Oslo, Norway
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7
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Zhang R, Rygelski BT, Kruse LE, Smith JD, Wang X, Allen BN, Kramer JS, Seim GF, Faulkner TJ, Schrum AG, Ulery BD. Adjuvant Delivery Method and Nanoparticle Charge Influence Peptide Amphiphile Micelle Vaccine Bioactivity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.10.598369. [PMID: 38915689 PMCID: PMC11195052 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.10.598369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Vaccines are an indispensable public health measure that have enabled the eradication, near elimination, and prevention of a variety of pathogens. As research continues and our understanding of immunization strategies develops, subunit vaccines have emerged as exciting alternatives to existing whole vaccine approaches. Unfortunately, subunit vaccines often possess weak antigenicity, requiring delivery devices and adjuvant supplementation to improve their utility. Peptide amphiphile micelles have recently been shown to function as both delivery devices and self-adjuvanting systems that can be readily associated with molecular adjuvants to further improve vaccine-mediated host immunity. While promising, many "design rules" associated with the plethora of underlying adjustable parameters in the generation of a peptide amphiphile micelle vaccine have yet to be uncovered. This work explores the impact micellar adjuvant complexation method and incorporated antigen type have on their ability to activate dendritic cells and induce antigen specific responses. Interestingly, electrostatic complexation of CpG to micelles resulted in improved in vitro dendritic cell activation over hydrophobic association and antigen|adjuvant co-localization influenced cell-mediated, but not antibody-mediated immune responses. These exciting results complement those previously published to build the framework of a micelle vaccine toolbox that can be leveraged for future disease-specific formulations.
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8
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Kharbot B, Askar H, Gruber D, Paris S. Biomimetic Remineralization of Artificial Caries Lesions with a Calcium Coacervate, Its Components and Self-Assembling Peptide P 11-4 In Vitro. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11:465. [PMID: 38790332 PMCID: PMC11117797 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11050465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The application of calcium coacervates (CCs) may hold promise for dental hard tissue remineralization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the infiltration of artificial enamel lesions with a CC and its single components including polyacrylic acid (PAA) compared to that of the self-assembling peptide P11-4 in a pH-cycling (pHC) model. Enamel specimens were prepared from bovine incisors, partly varnished, and stored in demineralizing solution (DS; pH 4.95; 17 d) to create two enamel lesions per sample. The specimens were randomly allocated to six groups (n = 15). While one lesion per specimen served as the no-treatment control (NTC), another lesion (treatment, T) was etched (H3PO4, 5 s), air-dried and subsequently infiltrated for 10 min with either a CC (10 mg/mL PAA, 50 mM CaCl2 (Ca) and 1 M K2HPO4 (PO4)) (groups CC and CC + DS) or its components PAA, Ca or PO4. As a commercial control, the self-assembling peptide P11-4 (CurodontTM Repair, Credentis, Switzerland) was tested. The specimens were cut perpendicularly to the lesions, with half serving as the baseline (BL) while the other half was exposed to either a demineralization solution for 20 d (pH 4.95; group CC + DS) or pHC for 28 d (pH 4.95, 3 h; pH 7, 21 h; all five of the other groups). The difference in integrated mineral loss between the lesions at BL and after the DS or pHC, respectively, was analyzed using transversal microradiography (ΔΔZ = ΔZpHC - ΔZbaseline). Compared to the NTC, the mineral gain in the T group was significantly higher in the CC + DS, CC and PAA (p < 0.05, Wilcoxon). In all of the other groups, no significant differences between treated and untreated lesions were detected (p > 0.05). Infiltration with the CC and PAA resulted in a consistent mineral gain throughout the lesion body. The CC as well as its component PAA alone promoted the remineralization of artificial caries lesions in the tested pHC model. Infiltration with PAA further resulted in mineral gain in deeper areas of the lesion body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basel Kharbot
- Department of Operative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 14917 Berlin, Germany
| | - Haitham Askar
- Department of Operative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 14917 Berlin, Germany
| | - Dominik Gruber
- Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Sebastian Paris
- Department of Operative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 14917 Berlin, Germany
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9
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Wilcox K, Yamagami KR, Roopnarine BK, Linscott A, Morozova S. Effect of Polymer Gel Elasticity on Complex Coacervate Phase Behavior. ACS POLYMERS AU 2024; 4:109-119. [PMID: 38618006 PMCID: PMC11010254 DOI: 10.1021/acspolymersau.3c00027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Gels are key materials in biological systems such as tissues and may control biocondensate formation and structure. To further understand the effects of elastic environments on biomacromolecular assembly, we have investigated the phase behavior and radii of complex coacervate droplets in polyacrylamide (PAM) networks as a function of gel modulus. Poly-l-lysine (PLL) and sodium hyaluronate (HA) complex coacervate phases were prepared in PAM gels with moduli varying from 0.035 to 15.0 kPa. The size of the complex coacervate droplets is reported from bright-field microscopy and confocal fluorescence microscopy. Overall, the complex coacervate droplet volume decreases inversely with the modulus. Fluorescence microscopy is also used to determine the phase behavior and concentration of fluorescently tagged HA in the complex coacervate phases as a function of ionic strength (100-270 mM). We find that the critical ionic strength and complex coacervate stability are nonmonotonic as a function of the network modulus and that the local gel concentration can be used to control phase behavior and complex coacervate droplet size scale. By understanding how elastic environments influence simple electrostatic assembly, we can further understand how biomacromolecules exist in complex, crowded, and elastic cellular environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn
G. Wilcox
- Department of Macromolecular
Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve
University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Kai R. Yamagami
- Department of Macromolecular
Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve
University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Brittany K. Roopnarine
- Department of Macromolecular
Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve
University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Adam Linscott
- Department of Macromolecular
Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve
University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Svetlana Morozova
- Department of Macromolecular
Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve
University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
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10
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Es Sayed J, Mukherjee A, El Aani S, Vengallur N, Koch M, Giuntoli A, Kamperman M. Structure-Property Relationships of Granular Hybrid Hydrogels Formed through Polyelectrolyte Complexation. Macromolecules 2024; 57:3190-3201. [PMID: 38616812 PMCID: PMC11008357 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c02335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Hybrid hydrogels are hydrogels that exhibit heterogeneity in the network architecture by means of chemical composition and/or microstructure. The different types of interactions, together with structural heterogeneity, which can be created on different length scales, determine the mechanical properties of the final material to a large extent. In this work, the microstructure-mechanical property relationships for a hybrid hydrogel that contains both electrostatic and covalent interactions are investigated. The hybrid hydrogel is composed of a microphase-separated polyelectrolyte complex network (PEC) made of poly(4-styrenesulfonate) and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) within a soft and elastic polyacrylamide hydrogel network. The system exhibits a granular structure, which is attributed to the liquid-liquid phase separation into complex coacervate droplets induced by the polymerization and the subsequent crowding effect of the polyacrylamide chains. The coacervate droplets are further hardened into PEC granules upon desalting the hydrogel. The structure formation is confirmed by a combination of electron microscopic imaging and molecular dynamics simulations. The interpenetration of both networks is shown to enhance the toughness of the resulting hydrogels due to the dissipative behavior of the PEC through the rupture of electrostatic interactions. Upon cyclic loading-unloading, the hydrogels show recovery of up to 80% of their original dissipative behavior in less than 300 s of rest with limited plasticity. The granular architecture and the tough and self-recoverable properties of the designed hybrid networks make them good candidates for applications, such as shape-memory materials, actuators, biological tissue mimics, and elastic substrates for soft sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Es Sayed
- Zernike
Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Adrivit Mukherjee
- Zernike
Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
- Engineering
and Technology Institute Groningen (ENTEG), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Siham El Aani
- Zernike
Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Nayan Vengallur
- Zernike
Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marcus Koch
- INM
− Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D2.2, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Andrea Giuntoli
- Zernike
Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marleen Kamperman
- Zernike
Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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11
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Alfano C, Fichou Y, Huber K, Weiss M, Spruijt E, Ebbinghaus S, De Luca G, Morando MA, Vetri V, Temussi PA, Pastore A. Molecular Crowding: The History and Development of a Scientific Paradigm. Chem Rev 2024; 124:3186-3219. [PMID: 38466779 PMCID: PMC10979406 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
It is now generally accepted that macromolecules do not act in isolation but "live" in a crowded environment, that is, an environment populated by numerous different molecules. The field of molecular crowding has its origins in the far 80s but became accepted only by the end of the 90s. In the present issue, we discuss various aspects that are influenced by crowding and need to consider its effects. This Review is meant as an introduction to the theme and an analysis of the evolution of the crowding concept through time from colloidal and polymer physics to a more biological perspective. We introduce themes that will be more thoroughly treated in other Reviews of the present issue. In our intentions, each Review may stand by itself, but the complete collection has the aspiration to provide different but complementary perspectives to propose a more holistic view of molecular crowding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Alfano
- Structural
Biology and Biophysics Unit, Fondazione
Ri.MED, 90100 Palermo, Italy
| | - Yann Fichou
- CNRS,
Bordeaux INP, CBMN UMR 5248, IECB, University
of Bordeaux, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - Klaus Huber
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Paderborn, 33098 Paderborn, Germany
| | - Matthias Weiss
- Experimental
Physics I, Physics of Living Matter, University
of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Evan Spruijt
- Institute
for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Simon Ebbinghaus
- Lehrstuhl
für Biophysikalische Chemie and Research Center Chemical Sciences
and Sustainability, Research Alliance Ruhr, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Giuseppe De Luca
- Dipartimento
di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Valeria Vetri
- Dipartimento
di Fisica e Chimica − Emilio Segrè, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Annalisa Pastore
- King’s
College London, Denmark
Hill Campus, SE5 9RT London, United Kingdom
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12
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Yu S, Chen W, Liu G, Flores B, DeWolf EL, Fan B, Xiang Y, Webber MJ. Glucose-Driven Droplet Formation in Complexes of a Supramolecular Peptide and Therapeutic Protein. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:7498-7505. [PMID: 38465595 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c13139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Biology achieves remarkable function through processes arising from spontaneous or transient liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of proteins and other biomolecules. While polymeric systems can achieve similar phenomena through simple or complex coacervation, LLPS with supramolecular materials has been less commonly shown. Functional applications for synthetic LLPS systems are an expanding area of emphasis, with particular focus on capturing the transient and dynamic state of these structures for use in biomedicine. Here, a net-cationic supramolecular peptide amphiphile building block with a glucose-binding motif is shown that forms LLPS structures when combined with a net-negatively charged therapeutic protein, dasiglucagon, in the presence of glucose. The droplets that arise are dynamic and coalesce quickly. However, the interface can be stabilized by addition of a 4-arm star PEG. When the stabilized droplets formed in glucose are transferred to a bulk phase containing different glucose concentrations, their stability and lifetime decrease according to bulk glucose concentration. This glucose-dependent formation translates into an accelerated release of dasiglucagon in the absence of glucose; this hormone analogue itself functions therapeutically to correct low blood glucose (hypoglycemia). These droplets also offer function in mitigating the most severe effects of hypoglycemia arising from an insulin overdose through delivery of dasiglucagon in a mouse model of hypoglycemic rescue. Accordingly, this approach to use complexation between a supramolecular peptide amphiphile and a therapeutic protein in the presence of glucose leads to droplets with functional potential to dissipate for the release of the therapeutic material in low blood glucose environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sihan Yu
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Weike Chen
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Guoqiang Liu
- Integrated Biomedical Sciences Program, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Belen Flores
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Emily L DeWolf
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Bowen Fan
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Yuanhui Xiang
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Matthew J Webber
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
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13
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Mondal S, Cui Q. Sequence Sensitivity in Membrane Remodeling by Polyampholyte Condensates. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:2087-2099. [PMID: 38407041 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c08149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered peptides (IDPs) have been found to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and produce complex coacervates that play numerous regulatory roles in the cell. Recent experimental studies have discovered that LLPS at or near the membrane surface helps in the biomolecular organization during signaling events and can significantly alter the membrane morphology. However, the molecular mechanism and microscopic details of such processes still remain unclear. Here we study the effect of polyampholyte and polyelectrolyte condensation on two different anionic membranes, as they represent a majority of naturally occurring IDPs. The polyampholytes are fifty-residue polymers, made of glutamate(E) and lysine(K) with different charge patterns. The polyelectrolytes are separate chains of E25 and K25. We first calibrate the MARTINI v3.0 force field and then perform long-time-scale coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. We find that condensates formed by all the polyampholytes get adsorbed on the membrane. However, the strong polyampholytes (i.e., blocky sequences) can remodel the membranes more prominently than the weaker ones (i.e., scrambled sequences). Condensates formed by the blocky sequences induce a significant negative curvature (∼0.1 nm-1) and local demixing of lipids, whereas those by the scrambled sequences tend to wet the membrane to a greater extent without generating significant curvature or demixing. We perform several microscopic analyses to characterize the nature of the interaction between membranes and these condensates. Our analyses of interaction energetics reveal that membrane remodeling and/or wetting are favored by enhanced interactions between polyampholytes with lipids and the counterions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayantan Mondal
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Qiang Cui
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Physics, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 44 Cummington Mall, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
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14
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Staňo R, van Lente J, Lindhoud S, Košovan P. Sequestration of Small Ions and Weak Acids and Bases by a Polyelectrolyte Complex Studied by Simulation and Experiment. Macromolecules 2024; 57:1383-1398. [PMID: 38370910 PMCID: PMC10867894 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c01209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Mixing of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes can result in phase separation into a polymer-poor supernatant and a polymer-rich polyelectrolyte complex (PEC). We present a new coarse-grained model for the Grand-reaction method that enables us to determine the composition of the coexisting phases in a broad range of pH and salt concentrations. We validate the model by comparing it to recent simulations and experimental studies, as well as our own experiments on poly(acrylic acid)/poly(allylamine hydrochloride) complexes. The simulations using our model predict that monovalent ions partition approximately equally between both phases, whereas divalent ones accumulate in the PEC phase. On a semiquantitative level, these results agree with our own experiments, as well as with other experiments and simulations in the literature. In the sequel, we use the model to study the partitioning of a weak diprotic acid at various pH values of the supernatant. Our results show that the ionization of the acid is enhanced in the PEC phase, resulting in its preferential accumulation in this phase, which monotonically increases with the pH. Currently, this effect is still waiting to be confirmed experimentally. We explore how the model parameters (particle size, charge density, permittivity, and solvent quality) affect the measured partition coefficients, showing that fine-tuning of these parameters can make the agreement with the experiments almost quantitative. Nevertheless, our results show that charge regulation in multivalent solutes can potentially be exploited in engineering the partitioning of charged molecules in PEC-based systems at various pH values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Staňo
- Faculty
of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna
Doctoral School in Physics, University of
Vienna, Boltzmanngasse
5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jéré
J. van Lente
- Department
of Molecules & Materials, University
of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia Lindhoud
- Department
of Molecules & Materials, University
of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Košovan
- Department
of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 8, 128 40 Prague 2, Czech Republic
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15
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Heo TY, Choi SH. Ionic Strength-Dependent Structure of Complex Coacervate Core Micelles. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:1256-1265. [PMID: 38288748 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c06004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Salt concentration-dependent structure of complex coacervate core micelles (C3Ms), formed by polyether-based block copolyelectrolytes containing cationic ammonium (A) or anionic sulfonate (S) groups in aqueous media, is investigated by light scattering and small-angle X-ray/neutron scattering (SAX/NS). As the salt concentration increases, both a core radius (Rcore) and an aggregation number (Nagg) significantly decrease, but a corona thickness (Lcorona) is nearly unchanged. Larger salt concentrations can lower the interfacial tension between the coacervate cores and aqueous media, resulting in an increased interfacial area per chain and a more relaxed conformation of the core blocks. Based on the structure characterization, the scaling relationship between structure parameters (i.e., Rcore, Nagg, and Lcorona) and salt concentration is obtained and compared to the theoretical description estimated by the free energy balance between the entropic penalty of core stretching and the interfacial energy. We propose that the free energy contribution of the core block stretching is not negligible in C3Ms because of the highly swollen cores caused by water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae-Young Heo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Hongik University, Seoul 04066, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo-Hyung Choi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Hongik University, Seoul 04066, Republic of Korea
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16
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Sathyavageeswaran A, Bonesso Sabadini J, Perry SL. Self-Assembling Polypeptides in Complex Coacervation. Acc Chem Res 2024; 57:386-398. [PMID: 38252962 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Intracellular compartmentalization plays a pivotal role in cellular function, with membrane-bound organelles and membrane-less biomolecular "condensates" playing key roles. These condensates, formed through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), enable selective compartmentalization without the barrier of a lipid bilayer, thereby facilitating rapid formation and dissolution in response to stimuli. Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) or proteins with intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), which are often rich in charged and polar amino acid sequences, scaffold many condensates, often in conjunction with RNA.Comprehending the impact of IDP/IDR sequences on phase separation poses a challenge due to the extensive chemical diversity resulting from the myriad amino acids and post-translational modifications. To tackle this hurdle, one approach has been to investigate LLPS in simplified polypeptide systems, which offer a narrower scope within the chemical space for exploration. This strategy is supported by studies that have demonstrated how IDP function can largely be understood based on general chemical features, such as clusters or patterns of charged amino acids, rather than residue-level effects, and the ways in which these kinds of motifs give rise to an ensemble of conformations.Our laboratory has utilized complex coacervates assembled from oppositely charged polypeptides as a simplified material analogue to the complexity of liquid-liquid phase separated biological condensates. Complex coacervation is an associative LLPS that occurs due to the electrostatic complexation of oppositely charged macro-ions. This process is believed to be driven by the entropic gains resulting from the release of bound counterions and the reorganization of water upon complex formation. Apart from their direct applicability to IDPs, polypeptides also serve as excellent model polymers for investigating molecular interactions due to the wide range of available side-chain functionalities and the capacity to finely regulate their sequence, thus enabling precise control over interactions with guest molecules.Here, we discuss fundamental studies examining how charge patterning, hydrophobicity, chirality, and architecture affect the phase separation of polypeptide-based complex coacervates. These efforts have leveraged a combination of experimental and computational approaches that provide insight into molecular level interactions. We also examine how these parameters affect the ability of complex coacervates to incorporate globular proteins and viruses. These efforts couple directly with our fundamental studies into coacervate formation, as such "guest" molecules should not be considered as experiencing simple encapsulation and are instead active participants in the electrostatic assembly of coacervate materials. Interestingly, we observed trends in the incorporation of proteins and viruses into coacervates formed using different chain length polypeptides that are not well explained by simple electrostatic arguments and may be the result of more complex interactions between globular and polymeric species. Additionally, we describe experimental evidence supporting the potential for complex coacervates to improve the thermal stability of embedded biomolecules, such as viral vaccines.Ultimately, peptide-based coacervates have the potential to help unravel the physics behind biological condensates, while paving the way for innovative methods in compartmentalization, purification, and biomolecule stabilization. These advancements could have implications spanning medicine to biocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arvind Sathyavageeswaran
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 10003, United States
| | - Júlia Bonesso Sabadini
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 10003, United States
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Sarah L Perry
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 10003, United States
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17
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Sabadini JB, Oliveira CLP, Loh W. Assessing the Structure and Equilibrium Conditions of Complex Coacervate Core Micelles by Varying Their Shell Composition and Medium Ionic Strength. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:2015-2027. [PMID: 38240211 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c01606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Complex coacervates result from an associative phase separation commonly involving oppositely charged polyelectrolytes. When this associative interaction occurs between charged-neutral diblock copolymers and oppositely charged homopolymers, a nanometric aggregate called a complex coacervate core micelle, C3M, is formed. Recent studies have addressed the issue of their thermodynamic or kinetic stability but without a clear consensus. To further investigate this issue, we have studied C3Ms formed by the combination of poly(diallyldimethylammonium) and copolymer poly(acrylamide)-b-poly(acrylate) using different preparation protocols. Dynamic light scattering and small-angle X-ray scattering measurements suggest that these structures are in an equilibrium condition because the aggregates do not vary with different preparation protocols or upon aging. In addition, their stability and structures are critically dependent on several parameters such as the density of neutral blocks in their shell and the ionic strength of the medium. Decreasing the amount of copolymer in the system and, hence, the density of neutral blocks in the shell results in an increase in the aggregate size because of the core growth, although their globular shape is retained. On the other hand, larger clusters of micelles were formed at higher ionic strengths. Partially replacing 77% of the copolymer with a homopolymer of the same charge or increasing the ionic strength of the system (above 100 mmol L-1 NaCl) leads to a metastable state, after which phase separation is eventually observed. SAXS analyses reveal that this phase separation above a certain salt concentration occurs due to the coagulation of individual micelles that seem to retain their individual globular structures. Overall, these results confirm earlier claims that equilibrium C3Ms are achieved close to 1:1 charge stoichiometry but also reveal that these conditions may vary at different shell densities or higher ionic strengths, which constitute vital information for envisioning future applications of C3Ms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Júlia Bonesso Sabadini
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), P.O. Box 6154, 13083-970 Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Watson Loh
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), P.O. Box 6154, 13083-970 Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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18
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Tabandeh S, Ateeq T, Leon L. Drug Encapsulation via Peptide-Based Polyelectrolyte Complexes. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202300440. [PMID: 37875787 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Peptide-based polyelectrolyte complexes are biocompatible materials that can encapsulate molecules with different polarities due to their ability to be precisely designed. Here we use UV-Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and infrared spectroscopy to investigate the encapsulation of model drugs, doxorubicin (DOX) and methylene blue (MB) using a series of rationally designed polypeptides. For both drugs, we find an overall higher encapsulation efficiency with sequences that have higher charge density, highlighting the importance of ionic interactions between the small molecules and the peptides. However, comparing molecules with the same charge density, illustrated that the most hydrophobic sequence pairs had the highest encapsulation of both DOX and MB molecules. The phase behavior and stability of DOX-containing complexes did not change compared to the complexes without drugs. However, MB encapsulation caused changes in the stabilities of the complexes. The sequence pair with the highest charge density and hydrophobicity had the most dramatic increase in stability, which coincided with a phase change from liquid to solid. This study illustrates how multiple types of molecular interactions are required for efficient encapsulation of poorly soluble drugs and provides insights into the molecular design of delivery carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Tabandeh
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Central Florida, 12760 Pegasus Dr, Orlando, FL-32816, USA
| | - Tahoora Ateeq
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Central Florida, 12760 Pegasus Dr, Orlando, FL-32816, USA
| | - Lorraine Leon
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Central Florida, 12760 Pegasus Dr, Orlando, FL-32816, USA
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, 12424 Research Pkwy #400, Orlando, FL-32826, USA
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19
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Perin GB, Moreno S, Zhou Y, Günther M, Boye S, Voit B, Felisberti MI, Appelhans D. Construction of Membraneless and Multicompartmentalized Coacervate Protocells Controlling a Cell Metabolism-like Cascade Reaction. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:5807-5822. [PMID: 37984848 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, there has been growing attention to designing synthetic protocells, capable of mimicking micrometric and multicompartmental structures and highly complex physicochemical and biological processes with spatiotemporal control. Controlling metabolism-like cascade reactions in coacervate protocells is still challenging since signal transduction has to be involved in sequential and parallelized actions mediated by a pH change. Herein, we report the hierarchical construction of membraneless and multicompartmentalized protocells composed of (i) a cytosol-like scaffold based on complex coacervate droplets stable under flow conditions, (ii) enzyme-active artificial organelles and a substrate nanoreservoir capable of triggering a cascade reaction between them in response to a pH increase, and (iii) a signal transduction component based on the urease enzyme capable of the conversion of an exogenous biological fuel (urea) into an endogenous signal (ammonia and pH increase). Overall, this strategy allows a synergistic communication between their components within the membraneless and multicompartment protocells and, thus, metabolism-like enzymatic cascade reactions. This signal communication is transmitted through a scaffold protocell from an "inactive state" (nonfluorescent protocell) to an "active state" (fluorescent protocell capable of consuming stored metabolites).
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni B Perin
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, 13083-970 Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden, Hohe Straße 6, D-01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Silvia Moreno
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden, Hohe Straße 6, D-01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Yang Zhou
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden, Hohe Straße 6, D-01069 Dresden, Germany
- Organic Chemistry of Polymers, Technische Universität Dresden, D-01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Markus Günther
- Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Technische Universität Dresden, D-01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Susanne Boye
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden, Hohe Straße 6, D-01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Brigitte Voit
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden, Hohe Straße 6, D-01069 Dresden, Germany
- Organic Chemistry of Polymers, Technische Universität Dresden, D-01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Maria I Felisberti
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, 13083-970 Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Dietmar Appelhans
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden, Hohe Straße 6, D-01069 Dresden, Germany
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20
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Wang Z, Zhang M, Zhou Y, Zhang Y, Wang K, Liu J. Coacervate Microdroplets as Synthetic Protocells for Cell Mimicking and Signaling Communications. SMALL METHODS 2023; 7:e2300042. [PMID: 36908048 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202300042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic protocells are minimal systems that mimic certain properties of natural cells and are used to research the emergence of life from a nonliving chemical network. Currently, coacervate microdroplets, which are formed via liquid-liquid phase separation, are receiving wide attention in the context of cell biology and protocell research; these microdroplets are notable because they can provide liquid-like compartment structures for biochemical reactions by creating highly macromolecular crowded local environments. In this review, an overview of recent research on the formation of coacervate microdroplets through phase separation; the design of coacervate-based stimuli-responsive protocells, multichamber protocells, and membranized protocells; and their cell mimic behaviors, is provided. The simplified protocell models with precisely defined and tunable compositions advance the understanding of the requirements for cellular structure and function. Efforts are then discussed to establish signal communication systems in protocell and protocell consortia, as communication is a fundamental feature of life that coordinates matter exchanges and energy fluxes dynamically in space and time. Finally, some perspectives on the challenges and future developments of synthetic protocell research in biomimetic science and biomedical applications are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zefeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Min Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Yan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Yanwen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Kemin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Jianbo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
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21
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Wang J, Abbas M, Huang Y, Wang J, Li Y. Redox-responsive peptide-based complex coacervates as delivery vehicles with controlled release of proteinous drugs. Commun Chem 2023; 6:243. [PMID: 37935871 PMCID: PMC10630460 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-023-01044-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteinous drugs are highly promising therapeutics to treat various diseases. However, they suffer from limited circulation times and severe off-target side effects. Inspired by active membraneless organelles capable of dynamic recruitment and releasing of specific proteins, here, we present the design of coacervates as therapeutic protocells, made from small metabolites (anionic molecules) and simple arginine-rich peptides (cationic motif) through liquid-liquid phase separation. These complex coacervates demonstrate that their assembly and disassembly can be regulated by redox chemistry, which helps to control the release of the therapeutic protein. A model proteinous drugs, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), can rapidly compartmentalize inside the complex coacervates, and the coacervates formed from peptides conjugated with arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) motif (a fibrinogen-derived peptide sequence), show selective binding to the thrombus site and thus enhance on-target efficacy of tPA. Furthermore, the burst release of tPA can be controlled by the redox-induced dissolution of the coacervates. Our proof-of-principle complex coacervate system provides insights into the sequestration and release of proteinous drugs from advanced drug delivery systems and represents a step toward the construction of synthetic therapeutic protocells for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahua Wang
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, China.
| | - Manzar Abbas
- Department of Chemistry, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Advanced Materials Chemistry Center (AMCC), Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Yu Huang
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, China.
| | - Junyou Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Multiphase Materials Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Yuehua Li
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, China.
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22
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Ramirez CAB, Mathews PD, Madrid RRM, Garcia ITS, Rigoni VLS, Mertins O. Antibacterial polypeptide-bioparticle for oral administration: Powder formulation, palatability and in vivo toxicity approach. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2023; 153:213525. [PMID: 37352744 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2023.213525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
The upsurge of bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics turned a well-recognized public health threat. The need of developing new biomaterials of effective practical use in order to tackle bacterial resistance became urgent. In this study, a submicrometric bioparticle of known antibacterial activity was produced in powder form with suitable texture and appealing characteristics for effective oral administration. Through complex coacervating a natural-source antimicrobial polypeptide with chitosan-N-arginine and alginate, the bioactive polypeptide was physically incorporated to the bioparticle whose structure positively responds to the pH variations found in gastrointestinal tract. The powder formulation presented high palatability that was evaluated using fish as in vivo animal model. A thorough survey of the fish intestinal tissues, following a systematic oral administration, revealed high penetration potential of the biomaterial through epithelial cells and deeper intestine layers. Despite, no cytotoxic effect was observed in analyzing the tissues through different histology methods. The absence of intestinal damage was corroborated by immune histochemistry, being the integrity of epithelial motor myosin Vb and related traffic proteins preserved. Hematology further endorsed absence of toxicity in blood cells whose morphology was evaluated in detail. The study evidenced the applicability potential of a new biomaterial of appealing and safe oral administration of antibacterial polypeptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A B Ramirez
- Laboratory of Nano Bio Materials, Department of Biophysics, Paulista Medical Scholl, Federal University of Sao Paulo, 04023-062 Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Patrick D Mathews
- Laboratory of Nano Bio Materials, Department of Biophysics, Paulista Medical Scholl, Federal University of Sao Paulo, 04023-062 Sao Paulo, Brazil; Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, CP26, 75231 Paris, France.
| | - Rafael R M Madrid
- Laboratory of Nano Bio Materials, Department of Biophysics, Paulista Medical Scholl, Federal University of Sao Paulo, 04023-062 Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Irene T S Garcia
- Department of Physical-Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Vera L S Rigoni
- Laboratory of Nano Bio Materials, Department of Biophysics, Paulista Medical Scholl, Federal University of Sao Paulo, 04023-062 Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Omar Mertins
- Laboratory of Nano Bio Materials, Department of Biophysics, Paulista Medical Scholl, Federal University of Sao Paulo, 04023-062 Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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23
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Forenzo C, Larsen J. Complex Coacervates as a Promising Vehicle for mRNA Delivery: A Comprehensive Review of Recent Advances and Challenges. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:4387-4403. [PMID: 37561647 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Messenger RNA (mRNA)-based therapies have gained significant attention, following the successful deployment of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines. Compared with traditional methods of genetic modification, mRNA-based therapies offer several advantages, including a lower risk of genetic mutations, temporary and controlled therapeutic gene expression, and a shorter production time, which facilitates rapid responses to emerging health challenges. Moreover, mRNA-based therapies have shown immense potential in treating a wide range of diseases including cancers, immune diseases, and neurological disorders. However, the current limitations of non-viral vectors for efficient and safe delivery of mRNA therapies, such as low encapsulation efficiency, potential toxicity, and limited stability, necessitate the exploration of novel strategies to overcome these challenges and fully realize the potential of mRNA-based therapeutics. Coacervate-based delivery systems have recently emerged as promising strategies for enhancing mRNA delivery. Coacervates, which are formed by the aggregation of two or more macromolecules, have shown great potential in delivering a wide range of therapeutics due to their ability to form a separated macromolecular-rich fluid phase in an aqueous environment. This phase separation enables the entrapment and protection of therapeutic agents from degradation as well as efficient cellular uptake and controlled release. Additionally, the natural affinity of coacervates for mRNA molecules presents an excellent opportunity for enhancing mRNA delivery to targeted cells and tissues, making coacervate-based delivery systems an attractive option for mRNA-based therapies. This review highlights the limitations of current strategies for mRNA delivery and the advantages of coacervate-based delivery systems to enable mRNA therapeutics. Coacervates protect mRNA from enzymatic degradation and enhance cellular uptake, leading to sustained and controlled gene expression. Despite their promising properties, the specific use of coacervates as mRNA delivery vehicles remains underexplored. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of coacervate-mediated delivery of mRNA, exploring the properties and applications of different coacervating agents as well as the challenges and optimization strategies involved in mRNA encapsulation, release, stability, and translation via coacervate-mediated delivery. Through a comprehensive analysis of recent advancements and recommended future directions, our review sheds light on the promising role of coacervate-mediated delivery for RNA therapeutics, highlighting its potential to enable groundbreaking applications in drug delivery and gene therapy.
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24
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Luo C, Wang X, Liu Y, Cai J, Lu X, Cai Y. Like-Charge PISA: Polymerization-Induced Like-Charge Electrostatic Self-Assembly. ACS Macro Lett 2023; 12:1045-1051. [PMID: 37440526 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.3c00372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
We report the use of l-aspartic acid chiral ionic hydrogen bonds to drive liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and precision two-dimensional electrostatic self-assembly in photo-RAFT aqueous polymerization-induced self-assembly (photo-PISA). Homopolymerization can yield salt-resistant, 3 nm ultrafine fibril-structured 5 nm ultrathin lamellae via LLPS, a left-to-right-handed chirality transition, and a droplets-to-lamellae transition. Like-charge block copolymerization leads to supercharged yet identical fibril-structured ultrathin lamellae, also, via LLPS, the left-to-right chirality transition and the droplets-to-lamellae transition. Ultrafine structures maintain intactness upon the seeded polymerization of the oppositely charged monomer. This work demonstrates that amino acid chiral ionic hydrogen bonds are powerful for the precision synthesis of salt-resistant ultrathin membrane nanomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caihui Luo
- State-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymer Materials, Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Design and Precision Synthesis, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Xiyu Wang
- State-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymer Materials, Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Design and Precision Synthesis, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- State-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymer Materials, Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Design and Precision Synthesis, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Jie Cai
- State-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymer Materials, Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Design and Precision Synthesis, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Xinhua Lu
- State-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymer Materials, Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Design and Precision Synthesis, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yuanli Cai
- State-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymer Materials, Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Design and Precision Synthesis, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
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25
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Es Sayed J, Caïto C, Arunachalam A, Amirsadeghi A, van Westerveld L, Maret D, Mohamed Yunus RA, Calicchia E, Dittberner O, Portale G, Parisi D, Kamperman M. Effect of Dynamically Arrested Domains on the Phase Behavior, Linear Viscoelasticity and Microstructure of Hyaluronic Acid - Chitosan Complex Coacervates. Macromolecules 2023; 56:5891-5904. [PMID: 37576476 PMCID: PMC10413963 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c00269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Complex coacervates make up a class of versatile materials formed as a result of the electrostatic associations between oppositely charged polyelectrolytes. It is well-known that the viscoelastic properties of these materials can be easily altered with the ionic strength of the medium, resulting in a range of materials from free-flowing liquids to gel-like solids. However, in addition to electrostatics, several other noncovalent interactions could influence the formation of the coacervate phase depending on the chemical nature of the polymers involved. Here, the importance of intermolecular hydrogen bonds on the phase behavior, microstructure, and viscoelasticity of hyaluronic acid (HA)-chitosan (CHI) complex coacervates is revealed. The density of intermolecular hydrogen bonds between CHI units increases with increasing pH of coacervation, which results in dynamically arrested regions within the complex coacervate, leading to elastic gel-like behavior. This pH-dependent behavior may be very relevant for the controlled solidification of complex coacervates and thus for polyelectrolyte material design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Es Sayed
- Zernike
Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Clément Caïto
- Zernike
Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Abinaya Arunachalam
- Zernike
Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Armin Amirsadeghi
- Zernike
Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Larissa van Westerveld
- Zernike
Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Denise Maret
- Zernike
Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Roshan Akdar Mohamed Yunus
- Engineering
and Technology Institute Groningen (ENTEG), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Eleonora Calicchia
- Zernike
Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department
of Nanomedicine & Drug Targeting, Groningen Research Institute
of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, A. Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Olivia Dittberner
- Zernike
Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Giuseppe Portale
- Zernike
Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Daniele Parisi
- Engineering
and Technology Institute Groningen (ENTEG), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marleen Kamperman
- Zernike
Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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26
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Coats JP, Cochereau R, Dinu IA, Messmer D, Sciortino F, Palivan CG. Trends in the Synthesis of Polymer Nano- and Microscale Materials for Bio-Related Applications. Macromol Biosci 2023; 23:e2200474. [PMID: 36949011 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202200474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Polymeric nano- and microscale materials bear significant potential in manifold applications related to biomedicine. This is owed not only to the large chemical diversity of the constituent polymers, but also to the various morphologies these materials can achieve, ranging from simple particles to intricate self-assembled structures. Modern synthetic polymer chemistry permits the tuning of many physicochemical parameters affecting the behavior of polymeric nano- and microscale materials in the biological context. In this Perspective, an overview of the synthetic principles underlying the modern preparation of these materials is provided, aiming to demonstrate how advances in and ingenious implementations of polymer chemistry fuel a range of applications, both present and prospective.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Peter Coats
- Department of Chemistry, Universitat Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, Basel, CH-4058, Switzerland
| | - Rémy Cochereau
- Department of Chemistry, Universitat Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, Basel, CH-4058, Switzerland
| | - Ionel Adrian Dinu
- Department of Chemistry, Universitat Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, Basel, CH-4058, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Messmer
- Department of Chemistry, Universitat Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, Basel, CH-4058, Switzerland
| | - Flavien Sciortino
- Department of Chemistry, Universitat Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, Basel, CH-4058, Switzerland
| | - Cornelia G Palivan
- Department of Chemistry, Universitat Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, Basel, CH-4058, Switzerland
- National Centre for Competence in Research - Molecular Systems Engineering, Mattenstrasse 24a, Basel, CH-4058, Switzerland
- Swiss Nanoscience Institute, Klingelbergstrasse 82, Basel, CH-4056, Switzerland
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27
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Stevens K, Marras AE, Campagna TR, Ting JM, Tirrell MV. Effect of Charged Block Length Mismatch on Double Diblock Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelle Cores. Macromolecules 2023; 56:5557-5566. [PMID: 37521249 PMCID: PMC10373519 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c00555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Polyelectrolyte complex micelles are hydrophilic nanoparticles that self-assemble in aqueous environments due to associative microphase separation between oppositely charged blocky polyelectrolytes. In this work, we employ a suite of physical characterization tools to examine the effect of charged block length mismatch on the equilibrium structure of double diblock polyelectrolyte complex micelles (D-PCMs) by mixing a diverse library of peptide and synthetic charged-neutral block polyelectrolytes with a wide range of charged block lengths (25-200 units) and chemistries. Early work on D-PCMs suggested that this class of micelles can only be formed from blocky polyelectrolytes with identical charged block lengths, a phenomenon referred to as chain length recognition. Here, we use salt annealing to create PCMs at equilibrium, which shows that chain length recognition, a longstanding hurdle to repeatable self-assembly from mismatched polyelectrolytes, can be overcome. Interestingly, D-PCM structure-property relationships display a range of values that vary systematically with the charged block lengths and chemical identity of constituent polyelectrolyte pairings and cannot be described by generalizable scaling laws. We discuss the interdependent growth behavior of the radius, ionic pair aggregation number, and density in the micelle core for three chemically distinct diblock pairings and suggest a potential physical mechanism that leads to this unique behavior. By comparing the results of these D-PCMs to the scaling laws recently developed for single diblock polyelectrolyte complex micelles (S-PCMs: diblock + homopolymer), we observe that D-PCM design schemes reduce the size and aggregation number and restrict their growth to a function of charged block length relative to S-PCMs. Understanding these favorable attributes enables more predictive use of a wider array of charged molecular building blocks to anticipate and control macroscopic properties of micelles spanning countless storage and delivery applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaden
C. Stevens
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, The University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Alexander E. Marras
- Walker
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
- Texas
Materials Institute, The University of Texas
at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Trinity R. Campagna
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, The University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | | | - Matthew V. Tirrell
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, The University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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28
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Saleh OA, Wilken S, Squires TM, Liedl T. Vacuole dynamics and popping-based motility in liquid droplets of DNA. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3574. [PMID: 37328453 PMCID: PMC10275875 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39175-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Liquid droplets of biomolecules play key roles in organizing cellular behavior, and are also technologically relevant, yet physical studies of dynamic processes of such droplets have generally been lacking. Here, we investigate and quantify the dynamics of formation of dilute internal inclusions, i.e., vacuoles, within a model system consisting of liquid droplets of DNA 'nanostar' particles. When acted upon by DNA-cleaving restriction enzymes, these DNA droplets exhibit cycles of appearance, growth, and bursting of internal vacuoles. Analysis of vacuole growth shows their radius increases linearly in time. Further, vacuoles pop upon reaching the droplet interface, leading to droplet motion driven by the osmotic pressure of restriction fragments captured in the vacuole. We develop a model that accounts for the linear nature of vacuole growth, and the pressures associated with motility, by describing the dynamics of diffusing restriction fragments. The results illustrate the complex non-equilibrium dynamics possible in biomolecular condensates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar A Saleh
- Materials Department and Physics Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
| | - Sam Wilken
- Materials Department and Physics Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Todd M Squires
- Chemical Engineering Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Tim Liedl
- Physics Department, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
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29
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Illmann MD, Schäfl L, Drees F, Hartmann L, Schmidt S. Glycan-Presenting Coacervates Derived from Charged Poly(active esters): Preparation, Phase Behavior, and Lectin Capture. Biomacromolecules 2023. [PMID: 37133885 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
This study presents the preparation and phase behavior of glycan-functionalized polyelectrolytes for capturing carbohydrate-binding proteins and bacteria in liquid condensate droplets. The droplets are formed by complex coacervation of poly(active ester)-derived polyanions and polycations. This approach allows for a straightforward modular introduction of charged motifs and specifically interacting units; mannose and galactose oligomers are used here as first examples. The introduction of carbohydrates has a notable effect on the phase separation and the critical salt concentration, potentially by reducing the charge density. Two mannose binding species, concanavalin A (ConA) and Escherichia coli, are shown to not only specifically bind to mannose-functionalized coacervates but also to some degree to unfunctionalized, carbohydrate-free coacervates. This suggests non-carbohydrate-specific charge-charge interactions between the protein/bacteria and the droplets. However, when mannose interactions are inhibited or when non-binding galactose-functionalized polymers are used, interactions are significantly weakened. This confirms specific mannose-mediated binding functionalization and suggests that introducing carbohydrates reduces non-specific charge-charge interactions by a so far unidentified mechanism. Overall, the presented route toward glycan-presenting polyelectrolytes enables new functional liquid condensate droplets with specific biomolecular interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Denise Illmann
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Lea Schäfl
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Felicitas Drees
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 31, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Laura Hartmann
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 31, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Schmidt
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 31, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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30
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Peydayesh M, Kistler S, Zhou J, Lutz-Bueno V, Victorelli FD, Meneguin AB, Spósito L, Bauab TM, Chorilli M, Mezzenga R. Amyloid-polysaccharide interfacial coacervates as therapeutic materials. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1848. [PMID: 37012278 PMCID: PMC10070338 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37629-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Coacervation via liquid-liquid phase separation provides an excellent opportunity to address the challenges of designing nanostructured biomaterials with multiple functionalities. Protein-polysaccharide coacervates, in particular, offer an appealing strategy to target biomaterial scaffolds, but these systems suffer from the low mechanical and chemical stabilities of protein-based condensates. Here we overcome these limitations by transforming native proteins into amyloid fibrils and demonstrate that the coacervation of cationic protein amyloids and anionic linear polysaccharides results in the interfacial self-assembly of biomaterials with precise control of their structure and properties. The coacervates present a highly ordered asymmetric architecture with amyloid fibrils on one side and the polysaccharide on the other. We demonstrate the excellent performance of these coacervates for gastric ulcer protection by validating via an in vivo assay their therapeutic effect as engineered microparticles. These results point at amyloid-polysaccharides coacervates as an original and effective biomaterial for multiple uses in internal medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Peydayesh
- ETH Zurich, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sabrina Kistler
- ETH Zurich, Department of Materials, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jiangtao Zhou
- ETH Zurich, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Viviane Lutz-Bueno
- ETH Zurich, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
- Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, 5232, Villigen, Switzerland
| | | | - Andréia Bagliotti Meneguin
- Department of Drugs and Medicines, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University, 14800-903, Araraquara, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Larissa Spósito
- Department of Drugs and Medicines, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University, 14800-903, Araraquara, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University, 14800-903, Araraquara, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tais Maria Bauab
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University, 14800-903, Araraquara, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marlus Chorilli
- Department of Drugs and Medicines, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University, 14800-903, Araraquara, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Raffaele Mezzenga
- ETH Zurich, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
- ETH Zurich, Department of Materials, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
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31
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Zhou Y, Centeno SP, Zhang K, Zheng L, Göstl R, Herrmann A. Fracture Detection in Bio-Glues with Fluorescent-Protein-Based Optical Force Probes. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2210052. [PMID: 36740969 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202210052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Glues are being used to bond, seal, and repair in industry and biomedicine. The improvement of gluing performance is hence important for the development of new glues with better and balanced property spaces, which in turn necessitates a mechanistic understanding of their mechanical failure. Optical force probes (OFPs) allow the observation of mechanical material damage in polymers from the macro- down to the microscale, yet have never been employed in glues. Here, the development of a series of ratiometric OFPs based on fluorescent-protein-dye and protein-protein conjugates and their incorporation into genetically engineered bio-glues is reported. The OFPs are designed to efficiently modulate Förster resonance energy transfer upon force application thereby reporting on force-induced molecular alterations independent of concentration and fluorescence intensity both spectrally and through their fluorescence lifetime. By fluorescence spectroscopy in solution and in the solid state and by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy, stress concentrations are visualized and adhesive and cohesive failure in the fracture zone is differentiated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhou
- DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstr. 50, 52056, Aachen, Germany
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, 9747 AG, The Netherlands
| | - Silvia P Centeno
- DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstr. 50, 52056, Aachen, Germany
| | - Kuan Zhang
- DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstr. 50, 52056, Aachen, Germany
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, 325001, China
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Lifei Zheng
- DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstr. 50, 52056, Aachen, Germany
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, 325001, China
| | - Robert Göstl
- DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstr. 50, 52056, Aachen, Germany
| | - Andreas Herrmann
- DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstr. 50, 52056, Aachen, Germany
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, 9747 AG, The Netherlands
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany
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32
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Herrera SE, Agazzi ML, Apuzzo E, Cortez ML, Marmisollé WA, Tagliazucchi M, Azzaroni O. Polyelectrolyte-multivalent molecule complexes: physicochemical properties and applications. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:2013-2041. [PMID: 36811333 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm01507b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The complexation of polyelectrolytes with other oppositely charged structures gives rise to a great variety of functional materials with potential applications in a wide spectrum of technological fields. Depending on the assembly conditions, polyelectrolyte complexes can acquire different macroscopic configurations such as dense precipitates, nanosized colloids and liquid coacervates. In the past 50 years, much progress has been achieved to understand the principles behind the phase separation induced by the interaction of two oppositely charged polyelectrolytes in aqueous solutions, especially for symmetric systems (systems in which both polyions have similar molecular weight and concentration). However, in recent years, the complexation of polyelectrolytes with alternative building blocks such as small charged molecules (multivalent inorganic species, oligopeptides, and oligoamines, among others) has gained attention in different areas. In this review, we discuss the physicochemical characteristics of the complexes formed by polyelectrolytes and multivalent small molecules, putting a special emphasis on their similarities with the well-known polycation-polyanion complexes. In addition, we analyze the potential of these complexes to act as versatile functional platforms in various technological fields, such as biomedicine and advanced materials engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago E Herrera
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física, INQUIMAE, CONICET. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón 2, Buenos Aires C1428EHA, Argentina.
| | - Maximiliano L Agazzi
- Instituto para el Desarrollo Agroindustrial y de la Salud (IDAS), (UNRC, CONICET), Ruta Nacional 36 KM 601, 5800 Río Cuarto, Argentina.
| | - Eugenia Apuzzo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas (INIFTA), (UNLP, CONICET), Sucursal 4, Casilla de Correo 16, 1900 La Plata, Argentina.
| | - M Lorena Cortez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas (INIFTA), (UNLP, CONICET), Sucursal 4, Casilla de Correo 16, 1900 La Plata, Argentina.
| | - Waldemar A Marmisollé
- Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas (INIFTA), (UNLP, CONICET), Sucursal 4, Casilla de Correo 16, 1900 La Plata, Argentina.
| | - Mario Tagliazucchi
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física, INQUIMAE, CONICET. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón 2, Buenos Aires C1428EHA, Argentina.
| | - Omar Azzaroni
- Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas (INIFTA), (UNLP, CONICET), Sucursal 4, Casilla de Correo 16, 1900 La Plata, Argentina.
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33
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Rising A, Harrington MJ. Biological Materials Processing: Time-Tested Tricks for Sustainable Fiber Fabrication. Chem Rev 2023; 123:2155-2199. [PMID: 36508546 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
There is an urgent need to improve the sustainability of the materials we produce and use. Here, we explore what humans can learn from nature about how to sustainably fabricate polymeric fibers with excellent material properties by reviewing the physical and chemical aspects of materials processing distilled from diverse model systems, including spider silk, mussel byssus, velvet worm slime, hagfish slime, and mistletoe viscin. We identify common and divergent strategies, highlighting the potential for bioinspired design and technology transfer. Despite the diversity of the biopolymeric fibers surveyed, we identify several common strategies across multiple systems, including: (1) use of stimuli-responsive biomolecular building blocks, (2) use of concentrated fluid precursor phases (e.g., coacervates and liquid crystals) stored under controlled chemical conditions, and (3) use of chemical (pH, salt concentration, redox chemistry) and physical (mechanical shear, extensional flow) stimuli to trigger the transition from fluid precursor to solid material. Importantly, because these materials largely form and function outside of the body of the organisms, these principles can more easily be transferred for bioinspired design in synthetic systems. We end the review by discussing ongoing efforts and challenges to mimic biological model systems, with a particular focus on artificial spider silks and mussel-inspired materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rising
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge 141 52, Sweden.,Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala 750 07, Sweden
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García-Briones GS, Laga R, Černochová Z, Arjona-Ruiz C, Janoušková O, Šlouf M, Pop-Georgievski O, Kubies D. Polyelectrolyte nanoparticles based on poly[N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide-block-poly(N-(3-aminopropyl)methacrylamide] copolymers for delivery of heparin-binding proteins. Eur Polym J 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2023.111976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
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35
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Wu CA, Zhu Y, Venkatesh A, Stark CJ, Lee SH, Woo YJ. Optimization of Freeform Reversible Embedding of Suspended Hydrogel Microspheres for Substantially Improved Three-Dimensional Bioprinting Capabilities. Tissue Eng Part C Methods 2023; 29:85-94. [PMID: 36719778 PMCID: PMC10024587 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tec.2022.0214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting demonstrates technology that is capable of producing structures comparable to native tissues in the human body. The freeform reversible embedding of suspended hydrogels (FRESH) technique involves hydrogel-based bio-inks printed within a thermo-reversible support bath to provide mechanical strength to the printed construct. Smaller and more uniform microsphere sizes of FRESH were reported to aid in enhancing printing resolution and construct accuracy. Therefore, we sought to optimize the FRESH generation protocol, particularly by varying stir speed and stir duration, in hopes to further improve microsphere size and uniformity. We observed optimal conditions at a stir speed of 600 rpm and stir duration for 20 h that generated the smallest microspheres with the best uniformity. Comparison of using the optimized FRESH to the commercial FRESH LifeSupport to bioprint single filament and geometrical constructs revealed reduced single filament diameters and higher angular precision in the optimized FRESH bio-printed constructs compared with those printed in the commercial FRESH. Overall, our refinement of the FRESH manufacturing protocol represents an important step toward enhancing 3D bioprinting resolution and construct fidelity. Improving such technologies allows for the fabrication of highly accurate constructs with anatomical properties similar to native counterparts. Such work has significant implications in the field of tissue engineering for producing accurate human organ model systems. Impact statement Freeform reversible embedding of suspended hydrogels (FRESH) is a method of sacrificial three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting that offers support to reinforce bio-ink extrusion during printing. During FRESH generation, the stir speed and stir duration of the mixture can significantly impact FRESH microsphere characteristics. In this study, we optimized FRESH microspheres to significantly improve resolution and accuracy in bioprinting. This advancement in FRESH-based 3D bioprinting technologies allows for the fabrication of highly accurate constructs with anatomical properties similar to native counterparts and has significant implications in the field of tissue engineering and translational medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A. Wu
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Yuanjia Zhu
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Akshay Venkatesh
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Charles J. Stark
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Seung Hyun Lee
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Y. Joseph Woo
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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Spray-and freeze-drying of microcapsules prepared by complex coacervation method: A review. Food Hydrocoll 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2023.108650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
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Mabuchi T, Kijima J, Yamashita Y, Miura E, Muraoka T. Coacervate Formation of Elastin-like Polypeptides in Explicit Aqueous Solution Using Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Macromolecules 2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c02195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Mabuchi
- Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira,
Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi980-8577, Japan
- Institute of Fluid Science, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira,
Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi980-8577, Japan
| | - Junko Kijima
- Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira,
Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi980-8577, Japan
| | - Yukino Yamashita
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Naka-cho,
Koganei, Tokyo184-8588, Japan
| | - Erika Miura
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Naka-cho,
Koganei, Tokyo184-8588, Japan
| | - Takahiro Muraoka
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Naka-cho,
Koganei, Tokyo184-8588, Japan
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Baruch Leshem A, Sloan-Dennison S, Massarano T, Ben-David S, Graham D, Faulds K, Gottlieb HE, Chill JH, Lampel A. Biomolecular condensates formed by designer minimalistic peptides. Nat Commun 2023; 14:421. [PMID: 36702825 PMCID: PMC9879991 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36060-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Inspired by the role of intracellular liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in formation of membraneless organelles, there is great interest in developing dynamic compartments formed by LLPS of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) or short peptides. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of biomolecular condensates have not been fully elucidated, rendering on-demand design of synthetic condensates with tailored physico-chemical functionalities a significant challenge. To address this need, here we design a library of LLPS-promoting peptide building blocks composed of various assembly domains. We show that the LLPS propensity, dynamics, and encapsulation efficiency of compartments can be tuned by changes to the peptide composition. Specifically, with the aid of Raman and NMR spectroscopy, we show that interactions between arginine and aromatic amino acids underlie droplet formation, and that both intra- and intermolecular interactions dictate droplet dynamics. The resulting sequence-structure-function correlation could support the future development of compartments for a variety of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avigail Baruch Leshem
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Sian Sloan-Dennison
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Technology and Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, 99 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1RD, UK
| | - Tlalit Massarano
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Shavit Ben-David
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Duncan Graham
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Technology and Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, 99 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1RD, UK
| | - Karen Faulds
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Technology and Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, 99 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1RD, UK
| | - Hugo E Gottlieb
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel
| | - Jordan H Chill
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel.
| | - Ayala Lampel
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel. .,Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel. .,Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel. .,Center for the Physics and Chemistry of Living Systems Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel.
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Hatem WA, Lapitsky Y. Accelerating Payload Release from Complex Coacervates through Mechanical Stimulation. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:polym15030586. [PMID: 36771888 PMCID: PMC9919863 DOI: 10.3390/polym15030586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Complex coacervates formed through the association of charged polymers with oppositely charged species are often investigated for controlled release applications and can provide highly sustained (multi-day, -week or -month) release of both small-molecule and macromolecular actives. This release, however, can sometimes be too slow to deliver the active molecules in the doses needed to achieve the desired effect. Here, we explore how the slow release of small molecules from coacervate matrices can be accelerated through mechanical stimulation. Using coacervates formed through the association of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) with pentavalent tripolyphosphate (TPP) ions and Rhodamine B dye as the model coacervate and payload, we demonstrate that slow payload release from complex coacervates can be accelerated severalfold through mechanical stimulation (akin to flavor release from a chewed piece of gum). The stimulation leading to this effect can be readily achieved through either perforation (with needles) or compression of the coacervates and, besides accelerating the release, can result in a deswelling of the coacervate phases. The mechanical activation effect evidently reflects the rupture and collapse of solvent-filled pores, which form due to osmotic swelling of the solute-charged coacervate pellets and is most pronounced in release media that favor swelling. This stimulation effect is therefore strong in deionized water (where the swelling is substantial) and only subtle and shorter-lived in phosphate buffered saline (where the PAH/TPP coacervate swelling is inhibited). Taken together, these findings suggest that mechanical activation could be useful in extending the complex coacervate matrix efficacy in highly sustained release applications where the slowly releasing coacervate-based sustained release vehicles undergo significant osmotic swelling.
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A mini-review on bio-inspired polymer self-assembly: single-component and interactive polymer systems. Emerg Top Life Sci 2022; 6:593-607. [PMID: 36254846 DOI: 10.1042/etls20220057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Biology demonstrates meticulous ways to control biomaterials self-assemble into ordered and disordered structures to carry out necessary bioprocesses. Empowering the synthetic polymers to self-assemble like biomaterials is a hallmark of polymer physics studies. Unlike protein engineering, polymer science demystifies self-assembly by purposely embedding particular functional groups into the backbone of the polymer while isolating others. The polymer field has now entered an era of advancing materials design by mimicking nature to a very large extend. For example, we can make sequence-specific polymers to study highly ordered mesostructures similar to studying proteins, and use charged polymers to study liquid-liquid phase separation as in membraneless organelles. This mini-review summarizes recent advances in studying self-assembly using bio-inspired strategies on single-component and multi-component systems. Sequence-defined techniques are used to make on-demand hybrid materials to isolate the effects of chirality and chemistry in synthetic block copolymer self-assembly. In the meantime, sequence patterning leads to more hierarchical assemblies comprised of only hydrophobic and hydrophilic comonomers. The second half of the review discusses complex coacervates formed as a result of the associative charge interactions of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes. The tunable phase behavior and viscoelasticity are unique in studying liquid macrophase separation because the slow polymer relaxation comes primarily from charge interactions. Studies of bio-inspired polymer self-assembly significantly impact how we optimize user-defined materials on a molecular level.
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Donau C, Boekhoven J. The chemistry of chemically fueled droplets. TRENDS IN CHEMISTRY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trechm.2022.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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42
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Encapsulation behavior of curcumin in heteroprotein complex coacervates and precipitates fabricated from β-conglycinin and lysozyme. Food Hydrocoll 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2022.107964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Balance of Macrophage Activation by a Complex Coacervate-Based Adhesive Drug Carrier Facilitates Diabetic Wound Healing. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:antiox11122351. [PMID: 36552559 PMCID: PMC9774176 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11122351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Uncontrolled and sustained inflammation disrupts the wound-healing process and produces excessive reactive oxygen species, resulting in chronic or impaired wound closure. Natural antioxidants such as plant-based extracts and natural polysaccharides have a long history in wound care. However, they are hard to apply to wound beds due to high levels of exudate or anatomical sites to which securing a dressing is difficult. Therefore, we developed a complex coacervate-based drug carrier with underwater adhesive properties that circumvents these challenges by enabling wet adhesion and controlling inflammatory responses. This resulted in significantly accelerated wound healing through balancing the pro- and anti-inflammatory responses in macrophages. In brief, we designed a complex coacervate-based drug carrier (ADC) comprising oligochitosan and inositol hexaphosphate to entrap and release antioxidant proanthocyanins (PA) in a sustained way. The results from in vitro experiments demonstrated that ADC is able to reduce LPS-stimulated pro-inflammatory responses in macrophages. The ability of ADC to reduce LPS-stimulated pro-inflammatory responses in macrophages is even more promising when ADC is encapsulated with PA (ADC-PA). Our results indicate that ADC-PA is able to polarize macrophages into an M2 tissue-healing phenotype via up-regulation of anti-inflammatory and resolution of inflammatory responses. Treatment with ADC-PA around the wound beds fine-tunes the balance between the numbers of inducible nitric oxide synthase-positive (iNOS+) and mannose receptor-negative (CD206-) M1 and iNOS-CD206+ M2 macrophages in the wound microenvironment compared to controls. Achieving such a balance between the numbers of iNOS+CD206- M1 and iNOS-CD206+ M2 macrophages in the wound microenvironment has led to significantly improved wound closure in mouse models of diabetes, which exhibit severe impairments in wound healing. Together, our results demonstrate for the first time the use of a complex coacervate-based drug delivery system to promote timely resolution of the inflammatory responses for diabetic wound healing by fine-tuning the functions of macrophages.
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Schröder HC, Neufurth M, Zhou H, Wang S, Wang X, Müller WEG. Inorganic Polyphosphate: Coacervate Formation and Functional Significance in Nanomedical Applications. Int J Nanomedicine 2022; 17:5825-5850. [DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s389819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
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Kim S, Lee WB, de Souza NR, Choi SH. QENS study on local segmental dynamics of polyelectrolytes in complex coacervates. POLYMER 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2022.125525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Liu JF, Wee Y, Luo SD, Chang SF, Jia S, Feng SW, Huang HM, Lin JH, Wang CS. Proanthocyanidins-loaded complex coacervates-based drug delivery attenuates oral squamous cell carcinoma cells metastatic potential through down-regulating the Akt signaling pathway. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1001126. [PMID: 36330492 PMCID: PMC9623311 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1001126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Oral cancer, constituted up to 90% by squamous cell carcinomas, is a significant health burden globally. Grape seed proanthocyanidins (PA) have been suggested as a potential chemopreventive agent for oral cancer. However, their efficacy can be restricted due to the low bioavailability and bioaccessibility. Inspired by sandcastle worm adhesive, we adapted the concept of complex coacervation to generate a new type of drug delivery platform. Complex coacervates are a dense liquid phase formed by the associative separation of a mixture of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes, can serve as a drug delivery platform to protect labile cargo. In this study, we developed a complex coacervates-based delivery of PA. The release kinetics was measured, and anticancer effects were determined in two human tongue squamous cell carcinoma cell lines. The results showed that complex coacervate successfully formed and able to encapsulate PA. Additionally, PA were steadily released from the system in a pH-dependent manner. The drug delivery system could significantly inhibit the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of cancer cells. Moreover, it could markedly reduce the expression of certain matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2, 9, and 13) crucial to metastatic processes. We also found that suppression of protein kinase B (Akt) pathway might be the underlying mechanism for these anticancer activities. Taken together, complex coacervates-based delivery of PA can act as an effective anticancer approach for oral cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju-Fang Liu
- School of Oral Hygiene, College of Oral Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yinshen Wee
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Shen-Dean Luo
- Department of Otolaryngology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Shwu-Fen Chang
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shihai Jia
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Sheng-Wei Feng
- School of Dentistry, College of Oral Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Huei-Mei Huang
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jiann-Her Lin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Shuen Wang
- School of Dentistry, College of Oral Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- *Correspondence: Ching-Shuen Wang,
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Chang R, Gruebele M, Leckband DE. Protein Stabilization by Alginate Binding and Suppression of Thermal Aggregation. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:4063-4073. [PMID: 36054903 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c00297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Polymers designed to stabilize proteins exploit direct interactions or crowding, but mechanisms underlying increased stability or reduced aggregation are rarely established. Alginate is widely used to encapsulate proteins for drug delivery and tissue regeneration despite limited knowledge of its impact on protein stability. Here, we present evidence that alginate can both increase protein folding stability and suppress the aggregation of unfolded protein through direct interactions without crowding. We used a fluorescence-based conformational reporter of two proteins, the metabolic protein phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) and the hPin1 WW domain to monitor protein stability and aggregation as a function of temperature and the weight percent of alginate in solution. Alginate stabilizes PGK by up to 14.5 °C, but stabilization is highly protein-dependent, and the much smaller WW domain is stabilized by only 3.5 °C against thermal denaturation. Stabilization is greatest at low alginate weight percent and decreases at higher alginate concentrations. This trend cannot be explained by crowding, and ionic screening suggests that alginate stabilizes proteins through direct interactions with a significant electrostatic component. Alginate also strongly suppresses aggregation at high temperature by irreversibly associating with unfolded proteins and preventing refolding. Both the beneficial and negative impacts of alginate on protein stability and aggregation have important implications for practical applications.
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Abstract
There is notable discrepancy between experiments and coarse-grained model studies regarding the thermodynamic driving force in polyelectrolyte complex coacervation: experiments find the free energy change to be dominated by entropy, while simulations using coarse-grained models with implicit solvent usually report a large, even dominant energetic contribution in systems with weak to intermediate electrostatic strength. Here, using coarse-grained, implicit-solvent molecular dynamics simulation combined with thermodynamic analysis, we study the potential of mean force (PMF) in the two key stages on the coacervation pathway for symmetric polyelectrolyte mixtures: polycation-polyanion complexation and polyion pair-pair condensation. We show that the temperature dependence in the dielectric constant of water gives rise to a substantial entropic contribution in the electrostatic interaction. By accounting for this electrostatic entropy, which is due to solvent reorganization, we find that under common conditions (monovalent ions, room temperature) for aqueous systems, both stages are strongly entropy-driven with negligible or even unfavorable energetic contributions, consistent with experimental results. Furthermore, for weak to intermediate electrostatic strengths, this electrostatic entropy, rather than the counterion-release entropy, is the primary entropy contribution. From the calculated PMF, we find that the supernatant phase consists predominantly of polyion pairs with vanishingly small concentration of bare polyelectrolytes, and we provide an estimate of the spinodal of the supernatant phase. Finally, we show that prior to contact, two neutral polyion pairs weakly attract each other by mutually induced polarization, providing the initial driving force for the fusion of the pairs.
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An Overview of Coacervates: The Special Disperse State of Amphiphilic and Polymeric Materials in Solution. COLLOIDS AND INTERFACES 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/colloids6030045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Individual amphiphiles, polymers, and colloidal dispersions influenced by temperature, pH, and environmental conditions or interactions between their oppositely charged pairs in solvent medium often produce solvent-rich and solvent-poor phases in the system. The solvent-poor denser phase found either on the top or the bottom of the system is called coacervate. Coacervates have immense applications in various technological fields. This review comprises a concise introduction, focusing on the types of coacervates, and the influence of different factors in their formation, structures, and stability. In addition, their physicochemical properties, thermodynamics of formation, and uses and multifarious applications are also concisely presented and discussed.
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Wang B, Fang H, Zhu W, Xu Y, Yang Y, Qian X. Dynamic Compartmentalization of Peptide-Oligonucleotide Conjugates with Reversible Nanovesicle-Microdroplet Phase Transition Behaviors. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:36998-37008. [PMID: 35925804 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c05268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Developing artificial microsystems based on liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) to mimic cellular dynamic compartmentalization has gained increasing attention. However, limitations including complicated components and laborious fabrication techniques have hindered their development. Herein, we describe a new single-component dynamic compartmentalization system using peptide-oligonucleotide conjugates (POCs) produced from short elastin-like polypeptides (sELPs) and oligonucleotides (ONs), which can perform thermoreversible phase transition between a nanovesicle and a microdroplet. The phase transition of sELP-ONs is thoroughly investigated, of which the transition temperature can be controlled by concentration, length of sELPs and ONs, base sequences, and salt. Moreover, the sELP-ON microcompartment can enrich a variety of functional molecules including small molecules, polysaccharides, proteins, and nucleic acids. Two sELP-ON compartments are used as nano- and microreactors for enzymatic reactions, separately, in which chemical activities are successfully regulated under different-scaled confinement effects, demonstrating their broad potential application in matter exchange and artificial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Honglong Fang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Weiping Zhu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yufang Xu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yangyang Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Xuhong Qian
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
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