1
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Giraldo-Castaño MC, Littlejohn KA, Avecilla ARC, Barrera-Villamizar N, Quiroz FG. Programmability and biomedical utility of intrinsically-disordered protein polymers. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2024; 212:115418. [PMID: 39094909 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2024.115418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) exhibit molecular-level conformational dynamics that are functionally harnessed across a wide range of fascinating biological phenomena. The low sequence complexity of IDPs has led to the design and development of intrinsically-disordered protein polymers (IDPPs), a class of engineered repeat IDPs with stimuli-responsive properties. The perfect repetitive architecture of IDPPs allows for repeat-level encoding of tunable protein functionality. Designer IDPPs can be modeled on endogenous IDPs or engineered de novo as protein polymers with dual biophysical and biological functionality. Their properties can be rationally tailored to access enigmatic IDP biology and to create programmable smart biomaterials. With the goal of inspiring the bioengineering of multifunctional IDP-based materials, here we synthesize recent multidisciplinary progress in programming and exploiting the bio-functionality of IDPPs and IDPP-containing proteins. Collectively, expanding beyond the traditional sequence space of extracellular IDPs, emergent sequence-level control of IDPP functionality is fueling the bioengineering of self-assembling biomaterials, advanced drug delivery systems, tissue scaffolds, and biomolecular condensates -genetically encoded organelle-like structures. Looking forward, we emphasize open challenges and emerging opportunities, arguing that the intracellular behaviors of IDPPs represent a rich space for biomedical discovery and innovation. Combined with the intense focus on IDP biology, the growing landscape of IDPPs and their biomedical applications set the stage for the accelerated engineering of high-value biotechnologies and biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Camila Giraldo-Castaño
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kai A Littlejohn
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Alexa Regina Chua Avecilla
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Natalia Barrera-Villamizar
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Felipe Garcia Quiroz
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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2
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Mondal M, Jankoski PE, Lee LD, Dinakarapandian DM, Chiu TY, Swetman WS, Wu H, Paravastu AK, Clemons TD, Rangachari V. Reversible Disulfide Bond Cross-Links as Tunable Levers of Phase Separation in Designer Biomolecular Condensates. J Am Chem Soc 2024. [PMID: 39196681 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c09557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/30/2024]
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates (BCs) are membraneless hubs enriched with proteins and nucleic acids that have emerged as important players in many cellular functions. Uncovering the sequence determinants of proteins for phase separation is essential in understanding the biophysical and biochemical properties of BCs. Despite significant discoveries in the past decade, the role of cysteine residues in BC formation and dissolution has remained unknown. Here, to uncover the involvement of disulfide cross-links and their redox sensitivity in BCs, we designed a "stickers and spacers" model of phase-separating peptides interspersed with cysteines. Through biophysical investigations, we learned that cysteines promote liquid-liquid phase separation in oxidizing conditions and perpetuate liquid condensates through disulfide cross-links, which can be reversibly tuned with redox chemistry. By varying the composition of cysteines, subtle but distinct changes in the viscoelastic behavior of the condensates were observed. Empirically, we conclude that cysteines function neither as stickers nor spacers but as covalent nodes to lower the effective concentrations for sticker interactions and inhibit system-spanning percolation networks. Together, we unmask the possible role of cysteines in the formation of biomolecular condensates and their potential use as tunable covalent cross-linkers in developing redox-sensitive viscoelastic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malay Mondal
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406, United States
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406, United States
| | - Penelope E Jankoski
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406, United States
| | - Landon D Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406, United States
| | - Daniel M Dinakarapandian
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0002, United States
| | - Tzu-Ying Chiu
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0002, United States
| | - Windfield S Swetman
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406, United States
| | - Hongwei Wu
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0002, United States
| | - Anant K Paravastu
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0002, United States
| | - Tristan D Clemons
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406, United States
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406, United States
| | - Vijayaraghavan Rangachari
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406, United States
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406, United States
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3
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Wirtz BM, Yun AG, Wick C, Gao XJ, Mai DJ. Protease-Driven Phase Separation of Elastin-Like Polypeptides. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:4898-4904. [PMID: 38980747 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00346] [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: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are a promising material platform for engineering stimuli-responsive biomaterials, as ELPs undergo phase separation above a tunable transition temperature. ELPs with phase behavior that is isothermally regulated by biological stimuli remain attractive for applications in biological systems. Herein, we report protease-driven phase separation of ELPs. Protease-responsive "cleavable" ELPs comprise a hydrophobic ELP block connected to a hydrophilic ELP block by a protease cleavage site linker. The hydrophilic ELP block acts as a solubility tag for the hydrophobic ELP block, creating a temperature window in which the cleavable ELP reactant is soluble and the proteolytically generated hydrophobic ELP block is insoluble. Within this temperature window, isothermal, protease-driven phase separation occurs when a critical concentration of hydrophobic cleavage product accumulates. Furthermore, protease-driven phase separation is generalizable to four compatible protease-cleavable ELP pairings. This work presents exciting opportunities to regulate ELP phase behavior in biological systems using proteases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan M Wirtz
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Allison G Yun
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Chloe Wick
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Xiaojing J Gao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Danielle J Mai
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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4
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Mondal M, Jankoski PE, Lee LD, Dinakarapandian DM, Chiu TY, Swetman WS, Wu H, Paravastu AK, Clemons TD, Rangachari V. Reversible disulfide bond crosslinks as tunable levers of phase separation in designer biomolecular condensates. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.13.603402. [PMID: 39071339 PMCID: PMC11275914 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.13.603402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates (BCs) are membraneless hubs enriched in proteins and nucleic acids that have become important players in many cellular functions. Uncovering the sequence determinants of proteins for phase separation is important in understanding the biophysical and biochemical properties of BCs. Despite significant discoveries in the last decade, the role of cysteine residues in BC formation and dissolution has remained unknown. Here, to determine the involvement of disulfide crosslinks and their redox sensitivity in BCs, we designed a 'stickers and spacers' model of phase-separating peptides interspersed with cysteines. Through biophysical investigations, we learned that cysteines promote liquid-liquid phase separation in oxidizing conditions and perpetuate liquid condensates through disulfide crosslinks, which can be reversibly tuned with redox chemistry. By varying the composition of cysteines, subtle but distinct changes in the viscoelastic behavior of the condensates were observed. Empirically, we conclude that cysteines are neither stickers nor spacers but function as covalent nodes to lower the effective concentrations for sticker interactions and inhibit system-spanning percolation networks. Together, we unmask the role of cysteines in protein phase behavior and the potential to develop tunable, redox-sensitive viscoelastic materials.
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5
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Swanson P, Arnold GP, Curley CE, Wakita SC, Waters JDV, Balog ERM. Understanding the Phase Behavior of a Multistimuli-Responsive Elastin-like Polymer: Insights from Dynamic Light Scattering Analysis. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:5756-5765. [PMID: 38830627 PMCID: PMC11181320 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c00070] [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: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Elastin-like polymers are a class of stimuli-responsive protein polymers that hold immense promise in applications such as drug delivery, hydrogels, and biosensors. Yet, understanding the intricate interplay of factors influencing their stimuli-responsive behavior remains a challenging frontier. Using temperature-controlled dynamic light scattering and zeta potential measurements, we investigate the interactions between buffer, pH, salt, water, and protein using an elastin-like polymer containing ionizable lysine residues. We observed the elevation of transition temperature in the presence of the common buffering agent HEPES at low concentrations, suggesting a "salting-in" effect of HEPES as a cosolute through weak association with the protein. Our findings motivate a more comprehensive investigation of the influence of buffer and other cosolute molecules on elastin-like polymer behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter
C. Swanson
- School of Mathematical and
Physical Sciences, University of New England, Biddeford, Maine 04005, United States
| | - Galen P. Arnold
- School of Mathematical and
Physical Sciences, University of New England, Biddeford, Maine 04005, United States
| | - Carolyn E. Curley
- School of Mathematical and
Physical Sciences, University of New England, Biddeford, Maine 04005, United States
| | - Savannah C. Wakita
- School of Mathematical and
Physical Sciences, University of New England, Biddeford, Maine 04005, United States
| | - Jeffery D. V. Waters
- School of Mathematical and
Physical Sciences, University of New England, Biddeford, Maine 04005, United States
| | - Eva Rose M. Balog
- School of Mathematical and
Physical Sciences, University of New England, Biddeford, Maine 04005, United States
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6
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Díez Pérez T, Tafoya AN, Peabody DS, Lakin MR, Hurwitz I, Carroll NJ, López GP. Isolation of nucleic acids using liquid-liquid phase separation of pH-sensitive elastin-like polypeptides. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10157. [PMID: 38698072 PMCID: PMC11065875 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60648-9] [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: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Extraction of nucleic acids (NAs) is critical for many methods in molecular biology and bioanalytical chemistry. NA extraction has been extensively studied and optimized for a wide range of applications and its importance to society has significantly increased. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of early and efficient NA testing, for which NA extraction is a critical analytical step prior to the detection by methods like polymerase chain reaction. This study explores simple, new approaches to extraction using engineered smart nanomaterials, namely NA-binding, intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), that undergo triggered liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Two types of NA-binding IDPs are studied, both based on genetically engineered elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs), model IDPs that exhibit a lower critical solution temperature in water and can be designed to exhibit LLPS at desired temperatures in a variety of biological solutions. We show that ELP fusion proteins with natural NA-binding domains can be used to extract DNA and RNA from physiologically relevant solutions. We further show that LLPS of pH responsive ELPs that incorporate histidine in their sequences can be used for both binding, extraction and release of NAs from biological solutions, and can be used to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in samples from COVID-positive patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Telmo Díez Pérez
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Center for Micro-Engineered Materials, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Ashley N Tafoya
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Center for Micro-Engineered Materials, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - David S Peabody
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Matthew R Lakin
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Ivy Hurwitz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Global Health, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Nick J Carroll
- Center for Micro-Engineered Materials, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Gabriel P López
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
- Center for Micro-Engineered Materials, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
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7
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Puertas-Bartolomé M, Venegas-Bustos D, Acosta S, Rodríguez-Cabello JC. Contribution of the ELRs to the development of advanced in vitro models. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1363865. [PMID: 38650751 PMCID: PMC11033926 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1363865] [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: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Developing in vitro models that accurately mimic the microenvironment of biological structures or processes holds substantial promise for gaining insights into specific biological functions. In the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, in vitro models able to capture the precise structural, topographical, and functional complexity of living tissues, prove to be valuable tools for comprehending disease mechanisms, assessing drug responses, and serving as alternatives or complements to animal testing. The choice of the right biomaterial and fabrication technique for the development of these in vitro models plays an important role in their functionality. In this sense, elastin-like recombinamers (ELRs) have emerged as an important tool for the fabrication of in vitro models overcoming the challenges encountered in natural and synthetic materials due to their intrinsic properties, such as phase transition behavior, tunable biological properties, viscoelasticity, and easy processability. In this review article, we will delve into the use of ELRs for molecular models of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), as well as for the development of in vitro 3D models for regenerative medicine. The easy processability of the ELRs and their rational design has allowed their use for the development of spheroids and organoids, or bioinks for 3D bioprinting. Thus, incorporating ELRs into the toolkit of biomaterials used for the fabrication of in vitro models, represents a transformative step forward in improving the accuracy, efficiency, and functionality of these models, and opening up a wide range of possibilities in combination with advanced biofabrication techniques that remains to be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Puertas-Bartolomé
- Technical Proteins Nanobiotechnology, S.L. (TPNBT), Valladolid, Spain
- Bioforge Lab (Group for Advanced Materials and Nanobiotechnology), CIBER's Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Edificio LUCIA, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Desiré Venegas-Bustos
- Bioforge Lab (Group for Advanced Materials and Nanobiotechnology), CIBER's Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Edificio LUCIA, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Sergio Acosta
- Bioforge Lab (Group for Advanced Materials and Nanobiotechnology), CIBER's Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Edificio LUCIA, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - José Carlos Rodríguez-Cabello
- Bioforge Lab (Group for Advanced Materials and Nanobiotechnology), CIBER's Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Edificio LUCIA, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
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8
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Eweje F, Walsh ML, Ahmad K, Ibrahim V, Alrefai A, Chen J, Chaikof EL. Protein-based nanoparticles for therapeutic nucleic acid delivery. Biomaterials 2024; 305:122464. [PMID: 38181574 PMCID: PMC10872380 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122464] [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: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
To realize the full potential of emerging nucleic acid therapies, there is a need for effective delivery agents to transport cargo to cells of interest. Protein materials exhibit several unique properties, including biodegradability, biocompatibility, ease of functionalization via recombinant and chemical modifications, among other features, which establish a promising basis for therapeutic nucleic acid delivery systems. In this review, we highlight progress made in the use of non-viral protein-based nanoparticles for nucleic acid delivery in vitro and in vivo, while elaborating on key physicochemical properties that have enabled the use of these materials for nanoparticle formulation and drug delivery. To conclude, we comment on the prospects and unresolved challenges associated with the translation of protein-based nucleic acid delivery systems for therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feyisayo Eweje
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA; Harvard and MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA; Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program, Boston, MA, USA, 02115; Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Michelle L Walsh
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA; Harvard and MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA; Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program, Boston, MA, USA, 02115
| | - Kiran Ahmad
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Vanessa Ibrahim
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Assma Alrefai
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Jiaxuan Chen
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA; Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Elliot L Chaikof
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA; Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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9
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Darji S, Aayush A, Estes KM, Strock JD, Thompson DH. Unravelling the Mechanism of Elastin-like Polypeptide-Enzyme Fusion Stabilization in Organic Solvents. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:272-281. [PMID: 38118170 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00982] [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: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
Elastin-like polypeptides (ELP) are a class of materials that are widely used as purification tags and in potential therapeutic applications. We have used the hydrophobic nature of ELP to extract them into organic solvents and precipitate them to obtain highly pure materials. Although many different types of ELP have been rapidly purified in this manner, the underlying mechanism for this process and its ability to retain functional proteins within organic phase-rich media has been unclear. A cleavable ELP-Intein construct fused with the enzyme chorismate mutase (ELP-I-Cm2) was used to better understand the organic solvent extraction process for ELP and the factors impacting the retention of enzyme activity. Our extraction studies indicated that a cell lysis step was essential to stabilize the ELP-I-Cm2 in the organic phase, prevent intein cleavage, and extract the fusion protein with high efficiency and retained activity. Circular dichroism and infrared spectroscopic characterization of ELP-I-Cm2 in organic solvents and aqueous solutions of the extracted and precipitated material indicated that the ELP secondary structure was retained in both environments. Atomic force microscopy and negative stain transmission electron microscopy imaging of ELP-I-Cm2 in organic solvents revealed highly regular circular features that were ∼50 nm in diameter, in contrast to larger (>100 nm) irregular features found in aqueous solutions. Since reverse micelles have often been used in catalytic processes, we evaluated the enzymatic activity of the ELP-I-Cm2 reversed micelles in different organic solvent mixtures and found that Cm2-mediated reactions in organic media were of comparable rate and efficiency to those in aqueous media. Based on these findings, we report an exciting new opportunity for ELP-enzyme fusion applications by exploiting their ability to form catalytically active reverse micelles in organic media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saloni Darji
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Purdue Institute for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Aayush Aayush
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Purdue Institute for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Kiera M Estes
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Jocie D Strock
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - David H Thompson
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Purdue Institute for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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10
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Suyama K, Murashima M, Maeda I, Nose T. Enhancement of Aggregate Formation Through Aromatic Compound Adsorption in Elastin-like Peptide (FPGVG) 5 Analogs. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:5265-5276. [PMID: 37865930 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00779] [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: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Elastin-like peptides (ELPs) exhibit temperature-dependent reversible self-assembly. Repetitive sequences derived from elastin, such as Val-Pro-Gly-Val-Gly (VPGVG), are essential for the self-assembly of ELPs. Previously, we developed (FPGVG)5 (F5), in which the first valine residue in the VPGVG sequence was replaced with phenylalanine, which showed strong self-aggregation ability. This suggests that interactions through the aromatic amino acid residues of ELPs could play an important role in self-assembly. In this study, we investigated the thermoresponsive behavior of F5 analogs in the presence of aromatic compounds. Turbidimetry, spectroscopy, and fluorescence measurements demonstrated that aromatic compounds interacted with F5 analogs below the transition temperature and enhanced the self-assembly ability of ELPs by stabilizing amyloid-like structures. Furthermore, quantitative high-performance liquid chromatography analyses showed that the F5 analogs could adsorb and remove hydrophobic aromatic compounds from aqueous solutions during aggregate formation. These results suggested that the F5 analogs can be applicable as scavengers of aromatic compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keitaro Suyama
- Faculty of Arts and Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Masayuki Murashima
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty and Graduate School of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Iori Maeda
- Department of Physics and Information Technology, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Iizuka 820-8502, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takeru Nose
- Faculty of Arts and Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty and Graduate School of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
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11
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Roland TJ, Strauss GL, Bushra N, Muschol M, Koria P. Isoelectric point (pI)-based phase separation (pI-BPS) purification of elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) containing charged, biologically active fusion proteins (ELP-FPs). Biotechnol Prog 2023; 39:e3381. [PMID: 37531360 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are peptide-based biomaterials with residue sequence (VPGXG)n where X is any residue except proline. ELPs are a useful modality for delivering biologically active proteins (growth factors, protease inhibitors, anti-inflammatory peptides, etc.) as fusion proteins (ELP-FP). ELP-FPs are particularly cost-effective because they can be rapidly purified using Inverse Temperature Cycling (ITC) via the reversible formation and precipitation of entropically driven aggregates above a transition temperature (Tt ). When ELP fusion proteins (ELP-FPs) contain significant charge density at physiological pH, electrostatic repulsion between them severely inhibits aggregate formation. The literature does not currently describe methods for purifying ELP-FPs containing charged proteins on either side of the ELP sequence as fusion partners without organic solvents. Here, the isoelectric point (pI) of ELP-FPs is discussed as a means of neutralizing surface charges on ELP-FPs and increasing ITC yield to dramatically high levels. We use pI-based phase separation (pI-BPS) to purify ELP-FPs containing cationic and anionic fusion proteins. We report a dramatic increase in protein yield when using pI-BPS for purification of ELP-FPs. Proteins purified by this method also retain the functional activity of the protein present in the ELP-FP. Techniques developed here enable significant diversification of possible fusion proteins delivered by ELPs as ELP-FPs by allowing them to be produced and purified at higher quantities and yields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Truman J Roland
- Department of Chemical, Biological & Materials Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Graham L Strauss
- Department of Chemical, Biological & Materials Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Nabila Bushra
- Department of Physics, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Martin Muschol
- Department of Physics, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Piyush Koria
- Department of Chemical, Biological & Materials Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
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12
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de Haas R, Ganar KA, Deshpande S, de Vries R. pH-Responsive Elastin-Like Polypeptide Designer Condensates. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:45336-45344. [PMID: 37707425 PMCID: PMC10540133 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c11314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates are macromolecular complexes formed by liquid-liquid phase separation. They regulate key biological functions by reversibly compartmentalizing molecules in cells, in a stimulus-dependent manner. Designing stimuli-responsive synthetic condensates is crucial for engineering compartmentalized synthetic cells that are able to mimic spatiotemporal control over the biochemical reactions. Here, we design and test a family of condensate-forming, pH-responsive elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) that form condensates above critical pH values ranging between 4 and 7, for temperatures between 20 and at 37 °C. We show that the condensation occurs rapidly, in sharp pH intervals (ΔpH < 0.3). For eventual applications in engineering synthetic cell compartments, we demonstrate that multiple types of pH-responsive ELPs can form mixed condensates inside micron-sized vesicles. When genetically fused with enzymes, receptors, and signaling molecules, these pH-responsive ELPs could be potentially used as pH-switchable functional condensates for spatially controlling biochemistry in engineered synthetic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robbert
J. de Haas
- Department of Physical Chemistry
and Soft Matter, Wageningen University and
Research, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ketan A. Ganar
- Department of Physical Chemistry
and Soft Matter, Wageningen University and
Research, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Siddharth Deshpande
- Department of Physical Chemistry
and Soft Matter, Wageningen University and
Research, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Renko de Vries
- Department of Physical Chemistry
and Soft Matter, Wageningen University and
Research, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
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13
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Tatsubo D, Suyama K, Sakamoto N, Tomohara K, Taniguchi S, Maeda I, Nose T. Determining the Sequence Dependency of Self-Assembly of Elastin-Like Peptides Using Short Peptide Analogues with Shuffled Repetitive Sequences. Biochemistry 2023; 62:2559-2570. [PMID: 37540116 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00146] [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: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic elastin-like peptides (ELPs) that possess characteristic tropoelastin-derived hydrophobic repetitive sequences, such as (VPGVG)n, exhibit thermoresponsive reversible self-assembly. Although their thermoresponsive properties have been well-studied, the sequence-dependent and structural requirements for self-assembly remain ambiguous. In particular, it is still unclear whether the amino acid sequences derived from tropoelastin are necessary for self-assembly. In this study, 11 sequence-shuffled ELP analogues based on (FPGVG)5, which is a previously developed short ELP (sELP), were designed to elucidate the sequence-dependent and structural requirements for their self-assembly. Among them, eight shuffled peptides exhibited self-assembling properties, whereas the other three peptides were difficult to dissolve in water. Structural analyses revealed that the structural characteristics of the three insoluble peptides were different from those of their thermoresponsive analogues. Furthermore, the secondary structures of the peptide analogues possessing the self-assembly abilities were different from each other. These results suggest that the potential for self-assembly and water solubility of sELPs depend on the primary structure in each repeated unit. Moreover, several shuffled analogues exhibited more potent self-assembling properties than the original (FPGVG)5, indicating that shorter ELPs can be obtained using their novel motifs as repetitive units. We also observed that the presence of Pro-Gly sequence in the repeating units was advantageous in terms of peptide solubility. Although further analysis will be necessary to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying the self-assembly of these sELPs, this study provides insights into the relationship between the amino acid sequence and the self-assembling ability of the peptides for developing new sELPs for various applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiki Tatsubo
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty and Graduate School of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Keitaro Suyama
- Faculty of Arts and Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Naoki Sakamoto
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty and Graduate School of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Keisuke Tomohara
- Faculty of Arts and Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Suguru Taniguchi
- Department of Physics and Information Technology, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Iizuka 820-8502, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Iori Maeda
- Department of Physics and Information Technology, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Iizuka 820-8502, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takeru Nose
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty and Graduate School of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
- Faculty of Arts and Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
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14
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Li Y, Dautel DR, Gray MA, McKenna ME, Champion JA. Rational design of elastin-like polypeptide fusion proteins to tune self-assembly and properties of protein vesicles. J Mater Chem B 2023. [PMID: 37357544 DOI: 10.1039/d3tb00200d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Protein vesicles made from bioactive proteins have potential value in drug delivery, biocatalysis, and as artificial cells. As the proteins are produced recombinantly, the ability to precisely tune the protein sequence provides control not possible with polymeric vesicles. The tunability and biocompatibility motivated this work to develop protein vesicles using rationally designed protein building blocks to investigate how protein sequence influences vesicle self-assembly and properties. We have reported an elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) fused to an arginine-rich leucine zipper (ZR) and functional, globular proteins fused to a glutamate-rich leucine zipper (ZE) that self-assemble into protein vesicles when warmed from 4 to 25 °C due to the hydrophobic transition of ELP. Previously, we demonstrated the ability to tune vesicle properties by changing protein and salt concentration, ZE : ZR ratio, and warming rate. However, there is a limit to the properties that can be achieved via assembly conditions. In order to access a wider range of vesicle diameter and stability profiles, this work investigated how modifiying the hydrophobicity and length of the ELP sequence influenced self-assembly and the final properties of protein vesicles using mCherry as a model globular protein. The results showed that both transition temperature and diameter of protein vesicles were inversely correlated to the ELP guest residue hydrophobicity and the number of ELP pentapeptide repeats. Additionally, sequence manipulation enabled assembly of vesicles with properties not accessible by changes to assembly conditions. For example, introduction of tyrosine at 5 guest residue positions in ELP enabled formation of nanoscale vesicles stable at physiological salt concentration. This work yields design guidelines for modifying the ELP sequence to manipulate protein vesicle transition temperature, size and stability to achieve desired properties for particular biofunctional applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yirui Li
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA.
- BioEngineering Program, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA
| | - Dylan R Dautel
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA.
| | - Mikaela A Gray
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA.
| | - Michael E McKenna
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA.
| | - Julie A Champion
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA.
- BioEngineering Program, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA
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15
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Dai Y, You L, Chilkoti A. Engineering synthetic biomolecular condensates. NATURE REVIEWS BIOENGINEERING 2023; 1:1-15. [PMID: 37359769 PMCID: PMC10107566 DOI: 10.1038/s44222-023-00052-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The concept of phase-separation-mediated formation of biomolecular condensates provides a new framework to understand cellular organization and cooperativity-dependent cellular functions. With growing understanding of how biological systems drive phase separation and how cellular functions are encoded by biomolecular condensates, opportunities have emerged for cellular control through engineering of synthetic biomolecular condensates. In this Review, we discuss how to construct synthetic biomolecular condensates and how they can regulate cellular functions. We first describe the fundamental principles by which biomolecular components can drive phase separation. Next, we discuss the relationship between the properties of condensates and their cellular functions, which informs the design of components to create programmable synthetic condensates. Finally, we describe recent applications of synthetic biomolecular condensates for cellular control and discuss some of the design considerations and prospective applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Dai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Lingchong You
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Ashutosh Chilkoti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
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16
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Morozova TI, García NA, Matsarskaia O, Roosen-Runge F, Barrat JL. Structural and Dynamical Properties of Elastin-Like Peptides near Their Lower Critical Solution Temperature. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:1912-1923. [PMID: 36877869 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Elastin-like peptides (ELPs) are artificially derived intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) mimicking the hydrophobic repeat unit in the protein elastin. ELPs are characterized by a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) in aqueous media. Here, we investigate the sequence GVG(VPGVG)3 over a wide range of temperatures (below, around, and above the LCST) and peptide concentrations employing all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, where we focus on the role of intra- and interpeptide interactions. We begin by investigating the structural properties of a single peptide that demonstrates a hydrophobic collapse with temperature, albeit moderate, because the sequence length is short. We observe a change in the interaction between two peptides from repulsive to attractive with temperature by evaluating the potential of mean force, indicating an LCST-like behavior. Next, we explore dynamical and structural properties of peptides in multichain systems. We report the formation of dynamical aggregates with coil-like conformation, in which valine central residues play an important role. Moreover, the lifetime of contacts between chains strongly depends on the temperature and can be described by a power-law decay that is consistent with the LCST-like behavior. Finally, the peptide translational and internal motion are slowed by an increase in the peptide concentration and temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicolás A García
- Instituto de Física del Sur (IFISUR), Departamento de Física, Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), CONICET, Av. L. N. Alem 1253, B8000CPB Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Olga Matsarskaia
- Institut Laue-Langevin, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38042 Grenoble, France
| | - Felix Roosen-Runge
- Department of Biomedical Science and Biofilms Research Center for Biointerfaces (BRCB), Malmö University, 20506 Malmö, Sweden
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17
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Tanaka N, Suyama K, Tomohara K, Maeda I, Nose T. Branched short elastin-like peptides with temperature responsiveness obtained by EDTA-mediated multimerization. J Pept Sci 2023; 29:e3449. [PMID: 36038531 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3449] [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: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Elastin-like peptides (ELPs) exhibit a reversible phase transition, known as coacervation, triggered by temperature changes. This property makes them useful as stimuli-responsive molecular materials for various applications. Among ELPs, short peptide chain lengths have some advantages over long peptide chain lengths because short ELPs can be easily obtained by chemical synthesis, allowing the use of various amino acids, including D-type and unnatural amino acids, at any position in the sequence. Moreover, the incorporated amino acids readily affect the temperature-responsive behavior of ELPs. However, to be utilized in various applications, it is necessary to develop short ELPs and to investigate their temperature-responsive properties. To obtain further insights into the temperature-responsive behavior of the short ELPs, we investigated branched short ELP analogs composed of (FPGVG)n chains (n = 1 or 2, abbreviated as F1 and F2, respectively). We synthesized multimers composed of four F1 chains or two to four F2 chains using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as a central component of multimerization. Our results show that the multimers obtained exhibited coacervation in aqueous solutions whereas linear F1 or F2 did not. Furthermore, the structural features of the obtained multimers were the same as those of linear (FPGVG)4 . In this study, we demonstrated that molecules capable of coacervation can be obtained by multimerization of F1 or F2. The temperature-responsive molecules obtained using short ELPs make it possible to use them as easy-to-synthesize peptide tags to confer temperature responsiveness to various molecules, which will aid the development of temperature-responsive biomaterials with a wide variety of functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Tanaka
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty and Graduate School of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Keitaro Suyama
- Faculty of Arts and Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | | | - Iori Maeda
- Department of Physics and Information Technology, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Iizuka, Japan
| | - Takeru Nose
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty and Graduate School of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Faculty of Arts and Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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18
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Garanger E, Lecommandoux S. Emerging opportunities in bioconjugates of Elastin-like polypeptides with synthetic or natural polymers. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 191:114589. [PMID: 36323382 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Nature is an everlasting source of inspiration for chemical and polymer scientists seeking to develop ever more innovative materials with greater performances. Natural structural proteins are particularly scrutinized to design biomimetic materials. Often characterized by repeat peptide sequences, that together interact by inter- and intramolecular interactions and form a 3D skeleton, they contribute to the mechanical properties of individual cells, tissues, organs, and whole organisms. (Numata, K. Polymer Journal 2020, 52, 1043-1056) Among them elastin, and its main repeat sequences, have been a source of intense studies for more than 50 years resulting in the specific research field dedicated to elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs). These are currently widely investigated in different applications, namely protein purification, tissue engineering, and drug delivery, and some technologies based on ELPs are currently explored by several start-up companies. In the present review, we have summarized pioneering contributions on ELPs, progress made in their genetic engineering, and understanding of their thermal behavior and self-assembly properties. Considered as intrinsically disordered protein polymers, we have finally focused on the works where ELPs have been conjugated to other synthetic macromolecules as covalent hybrid, statistical, graft, or block copolymers, highlighting the huge opportunities that have still not been explored so far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Garanger
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629, ENSCBP, 16 Avenue Pey-Berland, Pessac F-33600, France.
| | - Sébastien Lecommandoux
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629, ENSCBP, 16 Avenue Pey-Berland, Pessac F-33600, France.
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19
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Goncalves AG, Hartzell EJ, Sullivan MO, Chen W. Recombinant protein polymer-antibody conjugates for applications in nanotechnology and biomedicine. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 191:114570. [PMID: 36228897 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Currently, there are over 100 antibody-based therapeutics on the market for the treatment of various diseases. The increasing importance of antibody treatment is further highlighted by the recent FDA emergency use authorization of certain antibody therapies for COVID-19 treatment. Protein-based materials have gained momentum for antibody delivery due to their biocompatibility, tunable chemistry, monodispersity, and straightforward synthesis and purification. In this review, we discuss progress in engineering the molecular features of protein-based biomaterials, in particular recombinant protein polymers, for introducing novel functionalities and enhancing the delivery properties of antibodies and related binding protein domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio G Goncalves
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, DE 19716, United States
| | - Emily J Hartzell
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, DE 19716, United States
| | - Millicent O Sullivan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, DE 19716, United States.
| | - Wilfred Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, DE 19716, United States.
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20
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García-Arévalo C, Quintanilla-Sierra L, Santos M, Ferrero S, Acosta S, Rodríguez-Cabello J. Impact of aromatic residues on the intrinsic disorder and transitional behaviour of model IDPs. Mater Today Bio 2022; 16:100400. [PMID: 36060106 PMCID: PMC9434135 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2022.100400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the interplay between order and disorder in intrinsically disorder proteins (IDPs), and its impact on the properties and features of materials manufactured from them, is a major challenge in the design of protein-based synthetic polymers intended for advanced functions. In this paper an elastin-like diblock co-recombinamer amphiphile (Phe-ELR) based on a hydrophobic block containing five phenylalanine (Phe) residues proximal to the carboxyl function of a glutamic acid (Glu) residue upon folding, and with Glu as the guest residue in the hydrophilic part, was engineered and its assembly behaviour compared with another amphiphilic ELR used as control. Phe-ELR was tailored in order to clarify the impact of the presence of aromatic residues in the amino acid sequence, which even in early studies by Urry's group already demonstrated a certain out-of-trend behaviour compared with other apolar amino acids, especially non-aromatic ones, on ELR behaviour. The combination of several experimental techniques indicates strong molecular interactions associated with the Phe residue, thus resulting in limited reversible character of the temperature-induced transitions during sequential thermal cycles, a lower than expected transition enthalpy, and clear differences in its supramolecular assembly with respect to the control ELR. A distinctive pre-aggregated state for the Phe-ELR under any condition of pH and temperature is found. Eventually, this state gives rise to Phe-core micelles or a solid jelly-like material, depending on the concentration, pH and presence of salts. In conclusion, it appears that the presence of aromatic residues and their ability to promote strong inter- and intramolecular interactions at any temperature and pH causes a complete modification of the order-disorder interplay present in other, non-aromatic ELRs. These molecular events have a profound impact on the physical properties of the resulting polymer when compared with other ELRs. This work helps to shed light on the limits that govern intrinsic disorder in ELRs beyond its inverse temperature transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. García-Arévalo
- GIR Bioforge, Universidad de Valladolid, CIBER-BBN, Paseo de Belén 9, 47011, Valladolid, Spain
| | - L. Quintanilla-Sierra
- GIR Bioforge, Universidad de Valladolid, CIBER-BBN, Paseo de Belén 9, 47011, Valladolid, Spain
| | - M. Santos
- GIR Bioforge, Universidad de Valladolid, CIBER-BBN, Paseo de Belén 9, 47011, Valladolid, Spain
| | - S. Ferrero
- GIR MIOMeT, IU CINQUIMA/Química Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valladolid, 47011, Valladolid, Spain
| | - S. Acosta
- GIR Bioforge, Universidad de Valladolid, CIBER-BBN, Paseo de Belén 9, 47011, Valladolid, Spain
| | - J.C. Rodríguez-Cabello
- GIR Bioforge, Universidad de Valladolid, CIBER-BBN, Paseo de Belén 9, 47011, Valladolid, Spain
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21
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Pramounmat N, Asaei S, Hostert JD, Young K, von Recum HA, Renner JN. Grafting of short elastin-like peptides using an electric field. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18682. [PMID: 36333395 PMCID: PMC9636273 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21672-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Surface-grafted elastin has found a wide range of uses such as sensing, tissue engineering and capture/release applications because of its ability to undergo stimuli-responsive phase transition. While various methods exist to control surface grafting in general, it is still difficult to control orientation as attachment occurs. This study investigates using an electric field as a new approach to control the surface-grafting of short elastin-like polypeptide (ELP). Characterization of ELP grafting to gold via quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation, atomic force microscopy and temperature ramping experiments revealed that the charge/hydrophobicity of the peptides, rearrangement kinetics and an applied electric field impacted the grafted morphology of ELP. Specifically, an ELP with a negative charge on the opposite end of the surface-binding moiety assembled in a more upright orientation, and a sufficient electric field pushed the charge away from the surface compared to when the same peptide was assembled in no electric field. In addition, this study demonstrated that assembling charged ELP in an applied electric field impacts transition behavior. Overall, this study reveals new strategies for achieving desirable and predictable surface properties of surface-bound ELP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuttanit Pramounmat
- grid.67105.350000 0001 2164 3847Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA
| | - Sogol Asaei
- grid.67105.350000 0001 2164 3847Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA
| | - Jacob D. Hostert
- grid.67105.350000 0001 2164 3847Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA
| | | | - Horst A. von Recum
- grid.67105.350000 0001 2164 3847Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA
| | - Julie N. Renner
- grid.67105.350000 0001 2164 3847Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA
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22
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Levêque M, Xiao Y, Durand L, Massé L, Garanger E, Lecommandoux S. Aqueous synthesis and self-assembly of bioactive and thermo-responsive HA- b-ELP bioconjugates. Biomater Sci 2022; 10:6365-6376. [PMID: 36168976 DOI: 10.1039/d2bm01149b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The design of synthetic (bio)macromolecules that combine biocompatibility, self-assembly and bioactivity properties at the molecular level is an intense field of research for biomedical applications such as (nano)medicine. In this contribution, we have designed and synthesized a library of bioactive and thermo-responsive bioconjugates from elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) and hyaluronic acid (HA) in order to access bioactive self-assembled nanoparticles. These were prepared by a simple synthetic and purification strategy, compatible with the requirements for biological applications and industrial scale-up. A series of 9 HA-b-ELP bioconjugates with different compositions and block lengths was synthesized under aqueous conditions by strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC), avoiding the use of catalysts, co-reactants and organic solvents, and isolated by a simple centrifugation step. An extensive physico-chemical study was then performed on the whole library of bioconjugates in an attempt to establish structure-property relationships. In particular, the determination of the critical conditions for thermally driven self-assembly was carried out upon temperature (CMT) and concentration (CMC) gradients, leading to a phase diagram for each of these bioconjugates. These parameters and the size of nanoparticles were found to depend on the chemical composition of the bioconjugates, namely on the respective size of individual blocks. Understanding the mechanism underlying this dependency is a real asset for designing more effective experiments: with key criteria defined (e.g. concentration, temperature, salinity, and biological target), the composition of the best candidates can be rationalized. In particular, four of the bioconjugates (HA4.6k-ELPn80 or n100 and HA24k-ELPn80 or n100) were found to self-assemble into well-defined spherical core-shell nanoparticles, with a negative surface charge due to the HA block exposed at the surface, a hydrodynamic diameter between 40 and 200 nm under physiological conditions and a good stability over time at 37 °C. We therefore propose here a versatile and simple design of smart, controllable, and bioactive nanoparticles that present different behaviors depending on the diblocks' composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Levêque
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629, Pessac F-33600, France.
| | - Ye Xiao
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629, Pessac F-33600, France.
| | - Laura Durand
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629, Pessac F-33600, France.
| | - Louise Massé
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629, Pessac F-33600, France.
| | - Elisabeth Garanger
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629, Pessac F-33600, France.
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23
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Dautel DR, Heller WT, Champion JA. Protein Vesicles with pH-Responsive Disassembly. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:3678-3687. [PMID: 35943848 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c00562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Protein biomaterials offer several advantages over those made from other components because their amino acid sequence can be precisely controlled with genetic engineering to produce a diverse set of material building blocks. In this work, three different elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) sequences were designed to synthesize pH-responsive protein vesicles. ELPs undergo a thermally induced hydrophobic transition that enables self-assembly of different kinds of protein biomaterials. The transition can be tuned by the composition of the guest residue, X, within the ELP pentapeptide repeat unit, VPGXG. When the guest residue is substituted with an ionizable amino acid, such as histidine, the ELP undergoes a pH-dependent hydrophobic phase transition. We used pH-responsive ELPs with different levels of histidine substitution, in combination with leucine zippers and globular, functional proteins, to fabricate protein vesicles. We demonstrate pH-dependent self-assembly, diameter, and disassembly of the vesicles using a combination of turbidimetry, dynamic light scattering, microscopy, and small angle X-ray scattering. As the ELP transition is dependent on the sequence, the vesicle properties also depend on the histidine content in the ELP building blocks. These results demonstrate the tunability of protein vesicles endowed with pH responsiveness, which expands their potential in drug-delivery applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan R Dautel
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - William T Heller
- Neutron Scattering, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PO Box 2008, MS 6473, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Julie A Champion
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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Shi X, Chen D, Liu G, Zhang H, Wang X, Wu Z, Wu Y, Yu F, Xu Q. Application of Elastin-Like Polypeptide in Tumor Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14153683. [PMID: 35954346 PMCID: PMC9367306 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14153683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Elastin-like Polypeptide (ELP) are widely applied in protein purification, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and even tumor therapy. Recent studies show that usage of ELP has made great progress in combination with peptide drugs or antibody drugs. The combination of ELP and photosensitizer in cancer therapy or imaging has made more progress and needs to be summarized. In this review, we summarize the specific application of ELP in cancer therapy, especially the latest developments in the combined use of ELP with photosensitizers. We seek to provide the most recent understanding of ELP and its new application in combination with Photosensitizer. Abstract Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are stimulus-responsive artificially designed proteins synthesized from the core amino acid sequence of human tropoelastin. ELPs have good biocompatibility and biodegradability and do not systemically induce adverse immune responses, making them a suitable module for drug delivery. Design strategies can equip ELPs with the ability to respond to changes in temperature and pH or the capacity to self-assemble into nanoparticles. These unique tunable biophysicochemical properties make ELPs among the most widely studied biopolymers employed in protein purification, drug delivery, tissue engineering and even in tumor therapy. As a module for drug delivery and as a carrier to target tumor cells, the combination of ELPs with therapeutic drugs, antibodies and photo-oxidation molecules has been shown to result in improved pharmacokinetic properties (prolonged half-life, drug targeting, cell penetration and controlled release) while restricting the cytotoxicity of the drug to a confined infected site. In this review, we summarize the latest developments in the application methods of ELP employed in tumor therapy, with a focus on its conjugation with peptide drugs, antibodies and photosensitizers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianggang Shi
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; (X.S.); (D.C.); (Y.W.)
| | - Dongfeng Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; (X.S.); (D.C.); (Y.W.)
| | - Guodong Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Suqian First People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suqian 223800, China; (G.L.); (H.Z.); (X.W.)
| | - Hailing Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Suqian First People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suqian 223800, China; (G.L.); (H.Z.); (X.W.)
| | - Xiaoyan Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Suqian First People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suqian 223800, China; (G.L.); (H.Z.); (X.W.)
| | - Zhi Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of High-Tech Research and Development of Veterinary Biopharmaceuticals, Jiangsu Agri-Animal Husbandry Vocational College, Taizhou 225306, China;
| | - Yan Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; (X.S.); (D.C.); (Y.W.)
| | - Feng Yu
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; (X.S.); (D.C.); (Y.W.)
- Correspondence: (F.Y.); (Q.X.); Tel.: +86-139-5292-3250 (F.Y.); +86-159-5281-6017 (Q.X.)
| | - Qinggang Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; (X.S.); (D.C.); (Y.W.)
- Correspondence: (F.Y.); (Q.X.); Tel.: +86-139-5292-3250 (F.Y.); +86-159-5281-6017 (Q.X.)
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25
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Jin X, Zhou M, Chen S, Li D, Cao X, Liu B. Effects of pH alterations on stress- and aging-induced protein phase separation. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:380. [PMID: 35750966 PMCID: PMC9232405 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04393-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Upon stress challenges, proteins/RNAs undergo liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) to fine-tune cell physiology and metabolism to help cells adapt to adverse environments. The formation of LLPS has been recently linked with intracellular pH, and maintaining proper intracellular pH homeostasis is known to be essential for the survival of organisms. However, organisms are constantly exposed to diverse stresses, which are accompanied by alterations in the intracellular pH. Aging processes and human diseases are also intimately linked with intracellular pH alterations. In this review, we summarize stress-, aging-, and cancer-associated pH changes together with the mechanisms by which cells regulate cytosolic pH homeostasis. How critical cell components undergo LLPS in response to pH alterations is also discussed, along with the functional roles of intracellular pH fluctuation in the regulation of LLPS. Further studies investigating the interplay of pH with other stressors in LLPS regulation and identifying protein responses to different pH levels will provide an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms underlying pH-driven LLPS in cell adaptation. Moreover, deciphering aging and disease-associated pH changes that influence LLPS condensate formation could lead to a deeper understanding of the functional roles of biomolecular condensates in aging and aging-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejiao Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China
| | - Min Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China
| | - Shuxin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China
| | - Danqi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China
| | - Xiuling Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China.
| | - Beidong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China. .,Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 9C, 413 90, Goteborg, Sweden. .,Center for Large-Scale Cell-Based Screening, Faculty of Science, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 9C, 413 90, Goteborg, Sweden.
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26
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Gonzalez-Obeso C, Rodriguez-Cabello JC, Kaplan DL. Fast and reversible crosslinking of a silk elastin-like polymer. Acta Biomater 2022; 141:14-23. [PMID: 34971785 PMCID: PMC8898266 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.12.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Elastin-like polymers (ELPs) and their chimeric subfamily the silk elastin-like polymers (SELPs) exhibit a lower critical solvation temperature (LCST) behavior in water which has been extensively studied from theoretical, computational and experimental perspectives. The inclusion of silk domains in the backbone of the ELPs effects the molecular dynamics of the elastin-like domains in response to increased temperature above its transition temperature and confers gelation ability. This response has been studied in terms of initial and long-term changes in structures, however, intermediate transition states have been less investigated. Moreover, little is known about the effects of reversible hydration on the elastin versus silk domains in the physical crosslinks. We used spectroscopic techniques to analyze initial, intermediate and long-term states of the crosslinks in SELPs. A combination of thermoanalytical and rheological measurements demonstrated that the fast reversible rehydration of the elastin motifs adjacent to the relatively small silk domains was capable of breaking the silk physical crosslinks. This feature can be exploited to tailor the dynamics of these types of crosslinks in SELPs. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The combination of silk and elastin in a single molecule results in synergy via their interactions to impact the protein polymer properties. The ability of the silk domains to crosslink affects the thermoresponsive properties of the elastin domains. These interactions have been studied at early and late states of the physical crosslinking, while the intermediate states were the focus of the present study to understand the reversible phase-transitions of the elastin domains over the silk physical crosslinking. The thermoresponsive properties of the elastin domains at the initial, intermediate and late states of silk crosslinking were characterized to demonstrate that reversible hydration of the elastin domains influenced the reversibility of the silk crosslinks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constancio Gonzalez-Obeso
- Department of Biomedical Engineering Tufts University, 4, Colby St., Medford, MA, 02155, USA; BIOFORGE (Group for Advanced Materials and Nanobiotechnology), University of Valladolid-CIBER-BBN, Paseo de Belén 19, 47011, Valladolid, Spain.
| | - J C Rodriguez-Cabello
- BIOFORGE (Group for Advanced Materials and Nanobiotechnology), University of Valladolid-CIBER-BBN, Paseo de Belén 19, 47011, Valladolid, Spain.
| | - David L Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering Tufts University, 4, Colby St., Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
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27
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Hossain MS, Ji J, Lynch CJ, Guzman M, Nangia S, Mozhdehi D. Adaptive Recombinant Nanoworms from Genetically Encodable Star Amphiphiles. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:863-876. [PMID: 34942072 PMCID: PMC8924867 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c01314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant nanoworms are promising candidates for materials and biomedical applications ranging from the templated synthesis of nanomaterials to multivalent display of bioactive peptides and targeted delivery of theranostic agents. However, molecular design principles to synthesize these assemblies (which are thermodynamically favorable only in a narrow region of the phase diagram) remain unclear. To advance the identification of design principles for the programmable assembly of proteins into well-defined nanoworms and to broaden their stability regimes, we were inspired by the ability of topologically engineered synthetic macromolecules to acess rare mesophases. To test this design principle in biomacromolecular assemblies, we used post-translational modifications (PTMs) to generate lipidated proteins with precise topological and compositional asymmetry. Using an integrated experimental and computational approach, we show that the material properties (thermoresponse and nanoscale assembly) of these hybrid amphiphiles are modulated by their amphiphilic architecture. Importantly, we demonstrate that the judicious choice of amphiphilic architecture can be used to program the assembly of proteins into adaptive nanoworms, which undergo a morphological transition (sphere-to-nanoworms) in response to temperature stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Shahadat Hossain
- Department
of Chemistry, Syracuse University, 1-014 Center for Science and Technology, 111 College Place, Syracuse, New York 13244, United
States
| | - Jingjing Ji
- Department
of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, 329 Link Hall, Syracuse, New York 13244, United
States
| | - Christopher J. Lynch
- Department
of Chemistry, Syracuse University, 1-014 Center for Science and Technology, 111 College Place, Syracuse, New York 13244, United
States
| | - Miguel Guzman
- Department
of Chemistry, Syracuse University, 1-014 Center for Science and Technology, 111 College Place, Syracuse, New York 13244, United
States
| | - Shikha Nangia
- Department
of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, 329 Link Hall, Syracuse, New York 13244, United
States
- BioInspired
Syracuse: Institute for Material and Living Systems, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, United States
| | - Davoud Mozhdehi
- Department
of Chemistry, Syracuse University, 1-014 Center for Science and Technology, 111 College Place, Syracuse, New York 13244, United
States
- BioInspired
Syracuse: Institute for Material and Living Systems, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, United States
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28
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Genetically encoded elastin-like polypeptide nanoparticles for drug delivery. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 74:146-153. [PMID: 34920210 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Small molecule drugs suffer from poor in vivo half-life, rapid degradation, and systemic off-target toxicity. To address these issues, researchers have developed nanoparticles that significantly enhance the delivery of many drugs while reducing their toxicity and improving targeting to specific organs. Recombinantly synthesized biomaterials such as elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) have unique attributes that greatly facilitate the rational design of nanoparticles for drug delivery. These attributes include biocompatibility, precise control over amino acid sequence design, and stimuli-responsive self-assembly into nanostructures that can be loaded with a range of drugs to enhance their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, significantly improving their therapeutic efficacy over the free drugs. This review summarizes recent developments in genetically encoded, self-assembling ELP nanoparticles and their applications for drug delivery.
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29
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Pérez TD, Quintana A, De Lora JA, Shreve AP, López GP, Carroll NJ. DNA Binding by an Intrinsically Disordered Elastin-like Polypeptide for Assembly of Phase Separated Nucleoprotein Coacervates. Ind Eng Chem Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.1c02823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Telmo Díez Pérez
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States,
- Center for Micro-Engineered Materials, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States,
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States, and
| | - Adam Quintana
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States, and
| | - Jacqueline A. De Lora
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States,
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States, and
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Department of Cellular Biophysics, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Andrew P. Shreve
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States,
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States, and
| | - Gabriel P. López
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States,
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States, and
| | - Nick J. Carroll
- Center for Micro-Engineered Materials, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States,
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States, and
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30
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Chang MP, Huang W, Mai DJ. Monomer‐scale design of functional protein polymers using consensus repeat sequences. JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pol.20210506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marina P. Chang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering Stanford University Stanford California USA
| | - Winnie Huang
- Department of Chemical Engineering Stanford University Stanford California USA
| | - Danielle J. Mai
- Department of Chemical Engineering Stanford University Stanford California USA
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31
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Zhao Y, Kremer K. Proline Isomerization Regulates the Phase Behavior of Elastin-Like Polypeptides in Water. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:9751-9756. [PMID: 34424695 PMCID: PMC8419842 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c04779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Responsiveness of polypeptides and polymers in aqueous solution plays an important role in biomedical applications and in designing advanced functional materials. Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are a well-known class of synthetic intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), which exhibit a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) in pure water and in aqueous solutions. Here, we compare the influence of cis/trans proline isomerization on the phase behavior of single ELPs in pure water. Our results reveal that proline isomerization tunes the conformational behavior of ELPs while keeping the transition temperature unchanged. We find that the presence of the cis isomers facilitates compact structures by preventing peptide-water hydrogen bonding while promoting intramolecular interactions. In other words, the LCST transition of ELPs with all proline residues in the cis state occurs with almost no noticeable conformational change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yani Zhao
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Kurt Kremer
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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32
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Wang B, Patkar SS, Kiick KL. Application of Thermoresponsive Intrinsically Disordered Protein Polymers in Nanostructured and Microstructured Materials. Macromol Biosci 2021; 21:e2100129. [PMID: 34145967 PMCID: PMC8449816 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202100129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Modulation of inter- and intramolecular interactions between bioinspired designer molecules can be harnessed for developing functional structures that mimic the complex hierarchical organization of multicomponent assemblies observed in nature. Furthermore, such multistimuli-responsive molecules offer orthogonal tunability for generating versatile multifunctional platforms via independent biochemical and biophysical cues. In this review, the remarkable physicochemical and mechanical properties of genetically engineered protein polymers derived from intrinsically disordered proteins, specifically elastin and resilin, are discussed. This review highlights emerging technologies which use them as building blocks in the fabrication of highly programmable structured biomaterials for applications in delivery of biotherapeutic cargo and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, 201 DuPont Hall, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Sai S Patkar
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, 201 DuPont Hall, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Kristi L Kiick
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, 201 DuPont Hall, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, 161 Colburn Laboratory, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute, Ammon Pinizzotto Biopharmaceutical Innovation Center, 590 Avenue 1743, Newark, DE, 19713, USA
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33
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Li Y, Champion JA. Photocrosslinked, Tunable Protein Vesicles for Drug Delivery Applications. Adv Healthc Mater 2021; 10:e2001810. [PMID: 33511792 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202001810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Recombinant proteins have emerged as promising building blocks for vesicle self-assembly because of their versatility through genetic manipulation and biocompatibility. Vesicles composed of thermally responsive elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) fusion proteins encapsulate cargo during assembly. However, vesicle stability in physiological environments remains a significant challenge for biofunctional applications. Here, incorporation of an unnatural amino acid, para-azido phenylalanine, into the ELP domain is reported to enable photocrosslinking of protein vesicles and tuning of vesicle size and swelling. The size of the vesicles can be tuned by changing ELP hydrophobicity and ionic strength. Protein vesicles are assessed for their ability to encapsulate doxorubicin and dually deliver doxorubicin and fluorescent protein in vitro as a proof of concept. The resulting photocrosslinkable vesicles made from full-sized, functional proteins show high potential in drug delivery applications, especially for small molecule/protein combination therapies or targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yirui Li
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering BioEngineering Program Georgia Institute of Technology 950 Atlantic Dr. NW Atlanta GA 30332‐2000 USA
| | - Julie A. Champion
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering BioEngineering Program Georgia Institute of Technology 950 Atlantic Dr. NW Atlanta GA 30332‐2000 USA
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34
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López Barreiro D, Minten IJ, Thies JC, Sagt CMJ. Structure-Property Relationships of Elastin-like Polypeptides: A Review of Experimental and Computational Studies. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021. [PMID: 34251181 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Elastin is a structural protein with outstanding mechanical properties (e.g., elasticity and resilience) and biologically relevant functions (e.g., triggering responses like cell adhesion or chemotaxis). It is formed from its precursor tropoelastin, a 60-72 kDa water-soluble and temperature-responsive protein that coacervates at physiological temperature, undergoing a phenomenon termed lower critical solution temperature (LCST). Inspired by this behavior, many scientists and engineers are developing recombinantly produced elastin-inspired biopolymers, usually termed elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs). These ELPs are generally comprised of repetitive motifs with the sequence VPGXG, which corresponds to repeats of a small part of the tropoelastin sequence, X being any amino acid except proline. ELPs display LCST and mechanical properties similar to tropoelastin, which renders them promising candidates for the development of elastic and stimuli-responsive protein-based materials. Unveiling the structure-property relationships of ELPs can aid in the development of these materials by establishing the connections between the ELP amino acid sequence and the macroscopic properties of the materials. Here we present a review of the structure-property relationships of ELPs and ELP-based materials, with a focus on LCST and mechanical properties and how experimental and computational studies have aided in their understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego López Barreiro
- DSM Biotechnology Center, DSM, Alexander Fleminglaan 1, 2613 AX Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Inge J Minten
- DSM Materials Science Center - Applied Science Center, DSM, Urmonderbaan 22, 6160 BB, Geleen, The Netherlands
| | - Jens C Thies
- DSM Biomedical, DSM, Koestraat 1, 6167 RA, Geleen, The Netherlands
| | - Cees M J Sagt
- DSM Biotechnology Center, DSM, Alexander Fleminglaan 1, 2613 AX Delft, The Netherlands
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35
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Choi JW, Choi SH, Won JI. Self-Assembly Behavior of Elastin-like Polypeptide Diblock Copolymers Containing a Charged Moiety. Biomacromolecules 2021; 22:2604-2613. [PMID: 34038105 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c00322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are stimulus-responsive protein-based biopolymers, and some ELP block copolymers can assemble into spherical nanoparticles with thermosensitivity. In this study, two different ELP diblock copolymers, each composed of a hydrophobic and a charged moiety, were synthesized, and the dependence of their physical properties on pH, temperature, and salt concentration was investigated. A series of analyses revealed that hydrophobic core micelles could be generated in response to a change in their surroundings and that micelles did not self-aggregate, a phenomenon due to the repulsive forces between like-charged molecules on the surface. We also demonstrated that self-assembly behavior was closely dependent on the character of the charged amino acid and the specific anion in solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeong-Wan Choi
- 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
| | - Jong-In Won
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Hongik University, Seoul 04066, Republic of Korea
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36
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Sweet C, Aayush A, Readnour L, Solomon KV, Thompson DH. Development of a Fast Organic Extraction-Precipitation Method for Improved Purification of Elastin-Like Polypeptides That Is Independent of Sequence and Molecular Weight. Biomacromolecules 2021; 22:1990-1998. [PMID: 33826307 PMCID: PMC8496954 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Elastin-like polypeptides (ELP), an increasingly popular tag for protein purification, commonly rely upon inverse transition cycling (ITC) to exploit their lower critical solution temperature characteristics for purification. While considerably faster than chromatography, ITC is still time consuming and often fails to remove host cell contaminants to an acceptable level for in vivo experiments. Here, we present a rapid purification workflow for ELP of broadly varying molecular weight and sequence using a polar organic solvent extraction and precipitation strategy. Four different ELP purification methods were directly compared for their ability to remove host cell protein, nucleic acids, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) contaminants using a model ELP. On the basis of these findings, an optimized extraction-precipitation method was developed that gave highly pure ELP from bacterial pellets in approximately 2.5 h while removing major host cell contaminants, including LPS to levels below 1 EU/mL, to produce highly pure material that is suitable for in vivo applications. Application of this method to the rapid purification of an ELP-epidermal growth factor fusion gave an isolate that retained its capacity to bind to epidermal growth factor receptor positive cells, thereby demonstrating that this method is capable of producing a functional construct after purification by organic extraction-precipitation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Logan Readnour
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, 1203 West State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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37
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Abdelghani M, Shao J, Le DHT, Wu H, van Hest JCM. Self-Assembly or Coassembly of Multiresponsive Histidine-Containing Elastin-Like Polypeptide Block Copolymers. Macromol Biosci 2021; 21:e2100081. [PMID: 33942499 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202100081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
In this study a histidine containing elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) diblock copolymer is described with multiresponsive assembly behavior. Self-assembly into micelles is examined by two methods. First, the self-assembly is triggered by the addition of divalent metal ions, with Zn2+ being the most suitable one. Increasing the Zn2+ concentration stabilizes the nanoparticles over a large temperature window (4-45 °C). This diblock exhibits furthermore pH-responsiveness, and particles disassemble under mildly acidic conditions. Second, the coassembly of this ELP with a diblock ELP is examined, which is not responsive to pH and metal ions. Coassembly is triggered by heating the ELPs quickly above the transition temperature of the less hydrophobic block, which results in stable nanoparticles without the need to add metal ions. This novel ELP system offers a versatile modular nanocarrier platform that can respond to different stimuli and can be tuned effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Abdelghani
- Bio-Organic Chemistry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Helix (STO 3.41), P. O. Box 513, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, The Netherlands
| | - Jingxin Shao
- Bio-Organic Chemistry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Helix (STO 3.41), P. O. Box 513, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, The Netherlands
| | - Duc H T Le
- Bio-Organic Chemistry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Helix (STO 3.41), P. O. Box 513, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, The Netherlands
| | - Hanglong Wu
- Bio-Organic Chemistry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Helix (STO 3.41), P. O. Box 513, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, The Netherlands
| | - Jan C M van Hest
- Bio-Organic Chemistry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Helix (STO 3.41), P. O. Box 513, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, The Netherlands
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38
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Cobb JS, Rourke AS, Creel A, Janorkar AV. Manipulating the solution environment to control the surface roughness of elastin-based polymer coatings. J Biomater Appl 2021; 36:419-427. [PMID: 33866852 DOI: 10.1177/08853282211010302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Elastin-like polypeptides (ELP) have been used as a genetically-engineered, biocompatible substitute for elastin. Cell culture coatings prepared using ELP conjugated to low molecular weight polyethyleneimine (PEI) entices cells to form three-dimensional cellular aggregates that mimic their in vivo counterparts. This study seeks to control the deposition of the ELP and ELP-PEI molecules to control the roughness of the final coatings. The two polymers were coated onto three different substrates (glass, polystyrene, tissue-culture polystyrene) and the solution environment was altered by changing the polymer concentration (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 mg/mL) and/or salt concentration (None, 0.2 M phosphate buffered saline) for a total of 36 conditions. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to measure the average roughness (Ra) of the samples and found that ELP coated samples had a higher Ra than their ELP-PEI counterparts. The coatings were tested for stability by performing cell culture media changes every three days for 11 days. AFM showed that the average roughness of the tested samples increased with each media change. To address this, the surfaces were crosslinked using hexamethyl diisocyanate, which minimized the change in surface roughness even when subjected to an intense sonication process. This study provides parameters to achieve elastin-based coatings with controlled roughness that can be used to support stable, long-term in vitro cell culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared S Cobb
- Department of Biomedical Materials Science, 21693University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Anna S Rourke
- Department of Biomedical Materials Science, 21693University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Aiden Creel
- Department of Biomedical Materials Science, 21693University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Amol V Janorkar
- Department of Biomedical Materials Science, 21693University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
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39
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Su Z, Kim C, Renner JN. Quantification of the effects of hydrophobicity and mass loading on the effective coverage of surface-immobilized elastin-like peptides. Biochem Eng J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2021.107933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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40
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Pille J, Aloi A, Le DHT, Vialshin I, van de Laar N, Kevenaar K, Merkx M, Voets IK, van Hest JCM. Pathway-Dependent Co-Assembly of Elastin-Like Polypeptides. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2007234. [PMID: 33690936 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202007234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In natural systems, temperature-induced assembly of biomolecules can lead to the formation of distinct assembly states, created out of the same set of starting compounds, based on the heating trajectory followed. Until now it has been difficult to achieve similar behavior in synthetic polymer mixtures. Here, a novel pathway-dependent assembly based on stimulus-responsive polymers is shown. When a mixture of mono- and diblock copolymers, based on elastin-like polypeptides, is heated with a critical heating rate co-assembled particles are created that are monodisperse, stable, and have tunable hydrodynamic radii between 20 and 120 nm. Below this critical heating rate, the constituents separately form polymer assemblies. This process is kinetically driven and reversible in thermodynamically closed systems. Using the co-assembly pathway, fluorescent proteins and bioluminescent enzymes are encapsulated with high efficiency. Encapsulated cargo shows unperturbed function even after delivery into cells. The pathway-dependent co-assembly of elastin-like polypeptides is not only of fundamental interest from a materials science perspective, allowing the formation of multiple distinct assemblies from the same starting compounds, which can be interconverted by going back to the molecularly dissolved states. It also enables a versatile way for constructing highly effective vehicles for the cellular delivery of biomolecular cargo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Pille
- Department of Biomedical Engineering & Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, the Netherlands
| | - Antonio Aloi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering & Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, the Netherlands
| | - Duc H T Le
- Department of Biomedical Engineering & Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, the Netherlands
| | - Ilia Vialshin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering & Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, the Netherlands
| | - Nathalie van de Laar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering & Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, the Netherlands
| | - Kirsten Kevenaar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering & Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, the Netherlands
| | - Maarten Merkx
- Department of Biomedical Engineering & Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, the Netherlands
| | - Ilja K Voets
- Department of Biomedical Engineering & Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, the Netherlands
| | - Jan C M van Hest
- Department of Biomedical Engineering & Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, the Netherlands
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41
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Cobb JS, Engel A, Seale MA, Janorkar AV. Machine learning to determine optimal conditions for controlling the size of elastin-based particles. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6343. [PMID: 33737605 PMCID: PMC7973436 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85601-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper evaluates the aggregation behavior of a potential drug and gene delivery system that combines branched polyethyleneimine (PEI), a positively-charged polyelectrolyte, and elastin-like polypeptide (ELP), a recombinant polymer that exhibits lower critical solution temperature (LCST). The LCST behavior of ELP has been extensively studied, but there are no quantitative ways to control the size of aggregates formed after the phase transition. The aggregate size cannot be maintained when the temperature is lowered below the LCST, unless the system exhibits hysteresis and forms irreversible aggregates. This study shows that conjugation of ELP with PEI preserves the aggregation behavior that occurs above the LCST and achieves precise aggregate radii when the solution conditions of pH (3, 7, 10), polymer concentration (0.1, 0.15, 0.3 mg/mL), and salt concentration (none, 0.2, 1 M) are carefully controlled. K-means cluster analyses showed that salt concentration was the most critical factor controlling the hydrodynamic radius and LCST. Conjugating ELP to PEI allowed crosslinking the aggregates and achieved stable particles that maintained their size below LCST, even after removal of the harsh (high salt or pH) conditions used to create them. Taken together, the ability to control aggregate sizes and use of crosslinking to maintain stability holds excellent potential for use in biological delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared S Cobb
- Biomedical Materials Science, School of Dentistry, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State St. D528, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Alexandra Engel
- Biomedical Materials Science, School of Dentistry, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State St. D528, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Maria A Seale
- Information Technology Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, 3909 Halls Ferry Rd, Vicksburg, MS, 39180, USA
| | - Amol V Janorkar
- Biomedical Materials Science, School of Dentistry, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State St. D528, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA.
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42
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Lindeboom T, Zhao B, Jackson G, Hall CK, Galindo A. On the liquid demixing of water + elastin-like polypeptide mixtures: bimodal re-entrant phase behaviour. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:5936-5944. [PMID: 33666204 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp05013j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Water + elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) exhibit a transition temperature below which the chains transform from collapsed to expanded states, reminiscent of the cold denaturation of proteins. This conformational change coincides with liquid-liquid phase separation. A statistical-thermodynamics theory is used to model the fluid-phase behavior of ELPs in aqueous solution and to extrapolate the behavior at ambient conditions over a range of pressures. At low pressures, closed-loop liquid-liquid equilibrium phase behavior is found, which is consistent with that of other hydrogen-bonding solvent + polymer mixtures. At pressures evocative of deep-sea conditions, liquid-liquid immiscibility bounded by two lower critical solution temperatures (LCSTs) is predicted. As pressure is increased further, the system exhibits two separate regions of closed-loop of liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE). The observation of bimodal LCSTs and two re-entrant LLE regions herald a new type of binary global phase diagram: Type XII. At high-ELP concentrations the predicted phase diagram resembles a protein pressure denaturation diagram; possible "molten-globule"-like states are observed at low concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Lindeboom
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Centre for Process Systems Engineering and Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering, South Kensington Campus, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Binwu Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, USA.
| | - George Jackson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Centre for Process Systems Engineering and Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering, South Kensington Campus, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Carol K Hall
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, USA.
| | - Amparo Galindo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Centre for Process Systems Engineering and Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering, South Kensington Campus, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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43
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Bravo-Anaya LM, Rosselgong J, Fernández-Solís KG, Xiao Y, Vax A, Ibarboure E, Ruban A, Lebleu C, Joucla G, Garbay B, Garanger E, Lecommandoux S. Coupling of RAFT polymerization and chemoselective post-modifications of elastin-like polypeptides for the synthesis of gene delivery hybrid vectors. Polym Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1039/d0py01293a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Hybrid cationic ELPs for nucleic acids transport and delivery were synthetized through the coupling of RAFT polymerization and biorthogonal chemistry of ELPs, introducing a specific number of positive charges to the ELP backbone.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ye Xiao
- University of Bordeaux
- CNRS
- Bordeaux INP
- Pessac
- France
| | - Amélie Vax
- University of Bordeaux
- CNRS
- Bordeaux INP
- Pessac
- France
| | | | - Anna Ruban
- University of Bordeaux
- CNRS
- Bordeaux INP
- Pessac
- France
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44
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Cobb JS, Seale MA, Janorkar AV. Evaluation of machine learning algorithms to predict the hydrodynamic radii and transition temperatures of chemo-biologically synthesized copolymers. Comput Biol Med 2021; 128:104134. [PMID: 33249343 PMCID: PMC7775344 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2020.104134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Elastin-like polypeptides (ELP) belong to a family of recombinant polymers that shows great promise as biocompatible drug delivery and tissue engineering materials. ELPs aggregate above a characteristic transition temperature (Tt). We have previously shown that the Tt and size of the resulting aggregates can be controlled by changing the ELP's solution environment (polymer concentration, salt concentration, and pH). When coupled to a synthetic polyelectrolyte, polyethyleneimine (PEI), ELP retains its Tt behavior and gains the ability to be crosslinked into defined particle sizes. This paper explores several machine learning models to predict the Tt and hydrodynamic radius (Rh) of ELP and two ELP-PEI polymers in varying solution conditions. An exhaustive design of experiments matrix consisting of 81 conditions of interest with varying salt concentration (0, 0.2, 1 M NaCl), pH (3, 7, 10), polymer concentration (0.1, 0.17, 0.3 mg/mL), and polymer type (ELP, ELP-PEI800, ELP-PEI10K) was investigated. The five models used in this study were multiple linear regression, elastic-net, support vector regression, multi-layer perceptron, and random forest. A multi-layer perceptron model was found to have the highest accuracy, with an R2 score of 0.97 for both Rh and Tt. This was followed closely by the random forest model, with an R2 of 0.94 for Rh and 0.95 for Tt. Feature importance was determined using the random forest and linear regression models. Both models showed that salt concentration and polymer type were the two most influential factors that determined Rh, while salt concentration was the dominant factor for Tt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared S Cobb
- Biomedical Materials Science, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Maria A Seale
- Information Technology Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, 3909 Halls Ferry Rd, Vicksburg, MS, 39180, USA
| | - Amol V Janorkar
- Biomedical Materials Science, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA.
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45
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Acosta S, Poocza L, Quintanilla-Sierra L, Rodríguez-Cabello JC. Charge Density as a Molecular Modulator of Nanostructuration in Intrinsically Disordered Protein Polymers. Biomacromolecules 2020; 22:158-170. [PMID: 32840359 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.0c00934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered protein polymers (IDPPs) have attracted a lot of attention in the development of bioengineered devices and for use as study models in molecular biology because of their biomechanical properties and stimuli-responsiveness. The present study aims to understand the effect of charge density on the self-assembly of IDPPs. To that end, a library of recombinant IDPPs based on an amphiphilic diblock design with different charge densities was bioproduced, and their supramolecular assembly was characterized on the nano-, meso-, and microscale. Although the phase transition was driven by the collapse of hydrophobic moieties, the hydrophilic block composition strongly affected hierarchical assembly and, therefore, enabled the production of new molecular architectures, thus leading to new dynamics that govern the liquid-gel transition. These results highlight the importance of electrostatic repulsion for the hierarchical assembly of IDPPs and provide insights into the manufacture of supramolecular protein-based materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Acosta
- Bioforge Lab, CIBER-BBN, University of Valladolid, Paseo Belén 19, 47011, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Leander Poocza
- Bioforge Lab, CIBER-BBN, University of Valladolid, Paseo Belén 19, 47011, Valladolid, Spain
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46
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Dautel DR, Champion JA. Protein Vesicles Self-Assembled from Functional Globular Proteins with Different Charge and Size. Biomacromolecules 2020; 22:116-125. [PMID: 32886493 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.0c00671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Protein vesicles can be synthesized by mixing two fusion proteins: an elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) fused to an arginine-rich leucine zipper (ZR) with a globular, soluble protein fused to a glutamate-rich leucine zipper (ZE). Currently, only fluorescent proteins have been incorporated into vesicles; however, for protein vesicles to be useful for biocatalysis, drug delivery, or biosensing, vesicles must assemble from functional proteins that span an array of properties and functionalities. In this work, the globular protein was systematically changed to determine the effects of the surface charge and size on the self-assembly of protein vesicles. The formation of microphases, which included vesicles, coacervates, and hybrid structures, was monitored at different assembly conditions to determine the phase space for each globular protein. The results show that the protein surface charge has a small effect on vesicle self-assembly. However, increasing the size of the globular protein decreases the vesicle size and increases the stability at lower ZE/ZR molar ratios. The phase diagrams created can be used as guidelines to incorporate new functional proteins into vesicles. Furthermore, this work reports catalytically active enzyme vesicles, demonstrating the potential for the application of vesicles as biocatalysts or biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan R Dautel
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Julie A Champion
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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47
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Taylor PA, Huang H, Kiick KL, Jayaraman A. Placement of Tyrosine Residues as a Design Element for Tuning the Phase Transition of Elastin-peptide-containing Conjugates: Experiments and Simulations. MOLECULAR SYSTEMS DESIGN & ENGINEERING 2020; 5:1239-1254. [PMID: 33796336 PMCID: PMC8009313 DOI: 10.1039/d0me00051e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Elastin-like polypeptides (ELP) have been widely used in the biomaterials community due to their controllable, thermoresponsive properties and biocompatibility. Motivated by our previous work on the effect of tryptophan (W) substitutions on the LCST-like transitions of short ELPs, we studied a series of short ELPs containing tyrosine (Y) and/or phenylalanine (F) guest residues with only 5 or 6 pentapeptide repeat units. A combination of experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations illustrated that the substitution of F with Y guest residues impacted the transition temperature (Tt) of short ELPs when conjugated to collagen-like-peptides (CLP), with a reduction in the transition temperature observed only after substitution of at least two residues. Placement of the Y residues near the N-terminal end of the ELP, away from the tethering point to the CLP, resulted in a lower Tt than that observed for peptides with the Y residues near the tethering point. Atomistic and coarse-grained MD simulations indicated an increase in intra- and inter- peptide hydrogen bonds in systems containing Y guest residues that are suggested to enhance the ability of the peptides to coacervate, with a concomitantly lower Tt. Simulations also revealed that the placement of Y-containing pentads near the N-terminus (i.e., away from CLP tethering point) versus C-terminus of the ELP led to more π-π stacking interactions at low temperatures, in agreement with our experimental observations of a lower Tt. Overall, this study provides mechanistic insights into the driving forces for the LCST-like transitions of ELPs and offers additional means for tuning the Tt of short ELPs for biomedical applications such as on-demand drug delivery and tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip A. Taylor
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 USA
| | - Haofu Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 USA
| | - Kristi L. Kiick
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 USA
| | - Arthi Jayaraman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 USA
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48
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Anaya LMB, Petitdemange R, Rosselin M, Ibarboure E, Garbay B, Garanger E, Deming TJ, Lecommandoux S. Design of Thermoresponsive Elastin-Like Glycopolypeptides for Selective Lectin Binding and Sorting. Biomacromolecules 2020; 22:76-85. [PMID: 32379435 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.0c00374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Selective lectin binding and sorting was achieved using thermosensitive glycoconjugates derived from recombinant elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) in simple centrifugation-precipitation assays. A recombinant ELP, (VPGXG)40, containing periodically spaced methionine residues was used to enable chemoselective postsynthetic modification via thioether alkylation using alkyne functional epoxide derivatives. The resulting sulfonium groups were selectively demethylated to give alkyne functionalized homocysteine residues, which were then reacted with azido-functionalized monosaccharides to obtain ELP glycoconjugates with periodic saccharide functionality. These modifications were also found to allow modulation of ELP temperature dependent water solubility. The multivalent ELP glycoconjugates were evaluated for specific recognition, binding and separation of the lectin Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA120) from a complex protein mixture. RCA120 and ELP glycoconjugate interactions were evaluated using laser scanning confocal microscopy and dynamic light scattering. Due to the thermoresponsive nature of the ELP glycoconjugates, it was found that heating a mixture of galactose-functionalized ELP and RCA120 in complex media selectively yielded a phase separated pellet of ELP-RCA120 complexes. Based on these results, ELP glycoconjugates show promise as designer biopolymers for selective protein binding and sorting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rosine Petitdemange
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629, Pessac, F-33600, France.,Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Bioengineering, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Marie Rosselin
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629, Pessac, F-33600, France
| | - Emmanuel Ibarboure
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629, Pessac, F-33600, France
| | - Bertrand Garbay
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629, Pessac, F-33600, France
| | - Elisabeth Garanger
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629, Pessac, F-33600, France
| | - Timothy J Deming
- Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Bioengineering, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
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49
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Cobb J, Zai-Rose V, Correia JJ, Janorkar AV. FT-IR Spectroscopic Analysis of the Secondary Structures Present during the Desiccation Induced Aggregation of Elastin-Like Polypeptide on Silica. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:8403-8413. [PMID: 32309751 PMCID: PMC7161207 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c00271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Previously, we found that elastin-like polypeptide (ELP), when dried above the lower critical solution temperature on top of a hydrophilic fused silica disk, exhibited a dynamic coalescence behavior. The ELP initially wet the silica, but over the next 12 h, dewett the surface and formed aggregates of precise sizes and shapes. Using Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, the present study explores the role of secondary structures present in ELP during this progressive desiccation and their effect on aggregate size. The amide I peak (1600-1700 cm-1) in the ELP's FT-IR spectrum was deconvoluted using the second derivative method into eight subpeaks (1616, 1624, 1635, 1647, 1657, 1666, 1680, 1695 cm-1). These peaks were identified to represent extended strands, β-turns, 3(10)-helix, polyproline I, and polyproline II using previous studies on ELP and molecules similar in peptide composition. Positive correlations were established between the various subpeaks, water content, and aggregate size to understand the contributions of the secondary structures in particle formation. The positive correlations suggest that type II β-turns, independent of the water content, contributed to the growth of the aggregates at earlier time points (1-3.5 h). At later time points (6-12 h), the aggregate growth was attributed to the formation of 3(10)-helices that relied on a decrease in water content. Understanding these relationships gives greater control in creating precisely sized aggregates and surface coatings with varying roughness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared
S. Cobb
- Department
of Biomedical Materials Science, School of Dentistry and Department of
Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, Mississippi 39216, United States
| | - Valeria Zai-Rose
- Department
of Biomedical Materials Science, School of Dentistry and Department of
Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, Mississippi 39216, United States
| | - John J. Correia
- Department
of Biomedical Materials Science, School of Dentistry and Department of
Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, Mississippi 39216, United States
| | - Amol V. Janorkar
- Department
of Biomedical Materials Science, School of Dentistry and Department of
Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, Mississippi 39216, United States
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50
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Quiroz FG, Fiore VF, Levorse J, Polak L, Wong E, Pasolli HA, Fuchs E. Liquid-liquid phase separation drives skin barrier formation. Science 2020; 367:367/6483/eaax9554. [PMID: 32165560 DOI: 10.1126/science.aax9554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
At the body surface, skin's stratified squamous epithelium is challenged by environmental extremes. The surface of the skin is composed of enucleated, flattened surface squames. They derive from underlying, transcriptionally active keratinocytes that display filaggrin-containing keratohyalin granules (KGs) whose function is unclear. Here, we found that filaggrin assembles KGs through liquid-liquid phase separation. The dynamics of phase separation governed terminal differentiation and were disrupted by human skin barrier disease-associated mutations. We used fluorescent sensors to investigate endogenous phase behavior in mice. Phase transitions during epidermal stratification crowded cellular spaces with liquid-like KGs whose coalescence was restricted by keratin filament bundles. We imaged cells as they neared the skin surface and found that environmentally regulated KG phase dynamics drive squame formation. Thus, epidermal structure and function are driven by phase-separation dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Garcia Quiroz
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Robin Chemers Neustein Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Vincent F Fiore
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Robin Chemers Neustein Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - John Levorse
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Robin Chemers Neustein Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Lisa Polak
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Robin Chemers Neustein Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ellen Wong
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Robin Chemers Neustein Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - H Amalia Pasolli
- Electron Microscopy Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Elaine Fuchs
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Robin Chemers Neustein Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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