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Wu Y, Chen K, Wang J, Chen M, Dai W, Liu R. Recent Advances and Future Developments in the Preparation of Polypeptides via N-Carboxyanhydride (NCA) Ring-Opening Polymerization. J Am Chem Soc 2024. [PMID: 39172171 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c05382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Polypeptides have the same or similar backbone structures as proteins and peptides, rendering them as suitable and important biomaterials. Amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides (NCA) ring-opening polymerization has been the most efficient strategy for polypeptide preparation, with continuous advance in the design of initiators, catalysts and reaction conditions. This Perspective first summarizes the recent progress of NCA synthesis and purification. Subsequently, we focus on various initiators for NCA polymerization, catalysts for accelerating polymerization or enhancing the controllability of polymerization, and recent advances in the reaction approach of NCA polymerization. Finally, we discuss future research directions and open challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueming Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Specially Functional Polymeric Materials and Related Technology (Ministry of Education), Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Kang Chen
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Specially Functional Polymeric Materials and Related Technology (Ministry of Education), Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Jiangzhou Wang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Specially Functional Polymeric Materials and Related Technology (Ministry of Education), Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Minzhang Chen
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Specially Functional Polymeric Materials and Related Technology (Ministry of Education), Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Wenhui Dai
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Specially Functional Polymeric Materials and Related Technology (Ministry of Education), Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Runhui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Specially Functional Polymeric Materials and Related Technology (Ministry of Education), Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
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2
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Jing X, Zhu Z, Wang S, Xin J, Zhou H, Wang L, Tong H, Cui C, Zhang Y, Sun F, Yang L, Gao Y, Lu H. Nonionic Water-Soluble Oligo(ethylene glycol)-Modified Polypeptides with a β-Sheet Conformation. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:5343-5351. [PMID: 39001815 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00759] [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: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
The secondary structures of polypeptides, such as an α-helix and a β-sheet, often impart specific properties and functions, making the regulation of their secondary structures of great significance. Particularly, water-soluble polypeptides bearing a β-sheet conformation are rare and challenging to achieve. Here, a series of oligo(ethylene glycol)-modified lysine N-carboxylic anhydrides (EGmK-NCA, where m = 1-3) and the corresponding polymers EGmKn are synthesized, with urethane bonds as the linker between the side-chain EG and lysine. The secondary structure of EGmKn is delicately regulated by both m and n, the length (number of repeating units) of EG and the degree of polymerization (DP), respectively. Among them, EG2Kn adopts a β-sheet conformation with good water solubility at an appropriate DP and forms physically cross-linked hydrogels at a concentration as low as 1 wt %. The secondary structures of EG1Kn can be tuned by DP, exhibiting either a β-sheet or an α-helix, whereas EG3Kn appears to a adopt pure and stable α-helix with no dependence on DP. Compared to previous works reporting EG-modified lysine-derived polypeptides bearing exclusively an α-helix conformation, this work highlights the important and unexpected role of the urethane connecting unit and provides useful case studies for understanding the secondary structure of polypeptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodong Jing
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zhen Zhu
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102200, China
| | - Shuo Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jiaqi Xin
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Haisen Zhou
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Letian Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Huimin Tong
- Department of Instrument Analysis Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Chenhui Cui
- Department of Instrument Analysis Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Yanfeng Zhang
- Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Science, MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter (Xi'an Jiaotong University), Xi'an Key Laboratory of Sustainable Energy Materials Chemistry and State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Fei Sun
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Lijiang Yang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yiqin Gao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102200, China
| | - Hua Lu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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3
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Zhao Y, Zhao W, Lv Y, Jin L, Ni Y, Hadjichristidis N. Well-defined star (co)polypeptides via a fast, efficient, and metal-free strategy. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 264:130566. [PMID: 38432269 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Polypeptides, especially star polypeptides, as a unique kind of biological macromolecules have broad applications in biomedical fields such as drug release, gene delivery, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicines due to their close structural similarity to naturally occurring peptides and proteins, biocompatibility, and amino acid functionality. However, the synthesis of star polypeptide mainly relies on the conventional primary amine-initiated ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of N-carboxyanhydrides (NCA) and suffers from low polymerization activity and limited controllability. This study proposes a fast, efficient and metal-free strategy to access star (co)polypeptides by combining the Michael reaction between acrylates and secondary aminoalcohols with the hydrogen-bonding organocatalytic ROP of NCA. This approach enables the preparation of a library of star (co)polypeptides with predesigned molecular weights, narrow molecular weight distributions, tunable arm number, and arm compositions. Importantly, this method exhibits high activity and selectivity at room temperature, making it both practical and versatile in synthesis applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhao
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Zhao
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yanfeng Lv
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, People's Republic of China
| | - Liuping Jin
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, People's Republic of China
| | - Yonghao Ni
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton E3B 5A3, New Brunswick, Canada; Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Nikos Hadjichristidis
- Polymer Synthesis Laboratory, Chemistry Program, KAUST Catalysis Center, Physical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia
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4
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Kong L, Gao M, Shi J, Zhao C, Chen C. Synthetic Polypeptide Bioadhesive Based on Cation-π Interaction and Secondary Structure. ACS Macro Lett 2024; 13:361-367. [PMID: 38457308 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.4c00075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Bioadhesives have garnered widespread attention in the biomedical field, for wound healing and tissue sealing. However, challenges exist due to the inferior performance of bioadhesives, including weak adhesion, poor biocompatibility, or lack of biodegradability. In this work, we demonstrate the fabrication of hydrogel adhesive based on polypeptides composed of lysine and glutamic acid. The cation-π interaction between the ammonium cations and phenyl groups endows the hydrogel with strong cohesion, and the hydrophobicity of the phenyl group significantly enhances the interaction between polypeptides and the substrate interface, leading to excellent adhesive performance. The equivalent molar ratio of ammonium cations and the phenyl group is beneficial for the enhancement of adhesiveness. Furthermore, we discover that the polypeptides with an α-helix exhibit better adhesiveness than the polypeptides with a β-sheet because the α-helical structure can increase the exposure of the side group on the polypeptide surface, which further strengthens the interaction between polypeptides and the substrate. Besides, this synthetic polypeptide adhesive can seal the tissue quickly and remain intact in water. This adhesive holds significant promise for application in wound healing and tissue sealing, and this study provides insight into the development of more peptide-based adhesives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liufen Kong
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Mei Gao
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Jiangyan Shi
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Chuanzhuang Zhao
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Chongyi Chen
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
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5
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Zhao W, Gao M, Kong L, Yu S, Zhao C, Chen C. Chirality-Regulated Clusteroluminescence in Polypeptides. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:1897-1905. [PMID: 38330502 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
The low emission efficiency of clusteroluminogens restricts their practical applications in the fields of sensors and biological imaging. In this work, the clusteroluminescence of ordered/disordered polypeptides was observed, and the photoluminescence (PL) intensity of polypeptides can be modulated by the chirality of amino acid residues. Polyglutamates with different chiral compositions were synthesized, and the racemic polypeptides exhibited a significantly higher PL intensity than the enantiopure ones. This emission originates from the n-π* transition between C═O groups of polypeptides and is enhanced by clusterization of polypeptides. CD and Fourier transform infrared spectra demonstrated that the enantiopure and racemic polypeptides form α-helix and random coil structures, respectively. The disordered polypeptides can form more chain entanglements and interchain interactions because of their high flexibility, leading to more clusterizations and stronger PL intensity. The rigidity of ordered helical structures restrains the chain entanglements, and the formation of intrachain hydrogen bonds between amide groups of the backbone impairs the interchain interaction between polypeptides, resulting in lower PL intensity. The PL intensity of the polypeptides can also be manipulated by the addition of urea or trifluoroacetic acid. Our study not only elucidates the chirality/order-based structure-property relationship of clusteroluminescence in peptide-based polymers but also offers implications for the rational design of fluorescent peptides/proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wangtao Zhao
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Mei Gao
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Liufen Kong
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Shunfeng Yu
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Chuanzhuang Zhao
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Chongyi Chen
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
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Luo Z, Yuan Y, Li L, Xie D, Liu C, Li T, Guo Z, Hao K, Li Y, Tian H. Facile Synthesis of High Molecular Weight Poly(ethylene glycol)- b-poly(amino acid)s by Relay Polymerization. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:1096-1107. [PMID: 38216512 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01128] [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: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Poly(amino acid)s (PAAs) are one kind of favorable biopolymer that can be used as a drug or gene carrier. However, conventional ring-opening polymerization of PAAs is slow and needs a strict anhydrous environment with an anhydrous reagent as well as the product without enough high molecular weight (Mn), which limits the expanding of PAAs' application. Herein, we took BLG-NCA as the monomer to quickly synthesize one kind of high Mn amphiphilic copolymer, poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(γ-benzyl-l-glutamic acid) (PEG-PBLG), by relay polymerization with a simple one-pot method within 3 h in mild conditions (open air, moisture insensitive). In the polymerization process, ring-opening polymerization-induced self-assembly in sodium bicarbonate aqueous solution first occurred to obtain low Mn PEG-PBLG seeds without purification. Then γ-benzyl-l-glutamate N-carboxyanhydride (BLG-NCA) dichloromethane solution was added into PEG-PBLG seeds directly and stirred vigorously to form am emulsion; during this process, the amphiphilic PEG-PBLG seeds will anchor on the interface of DCM and water to ensure the concentration of α-helix rigid PBLG in DCM to maintain the following relay polymerization. Then, high Mn PEG-PBLG was obtained in mild conditions in one pot. We found that the α-helix rigid structure was essential for relay polymerization by studying the synthetic speed of amphiphilic copolymer with different secondary structures. MOE simulation results showed that PBLG and BLG-NCA tended to form a double hydrogen bond, which was beneficial to relay polymerization because of higher local concentrations that can produce more double hydrogen bonds. Our strategy can quickly obtain high Mn PEG-PBLG (224.9 KDa) within 3 h from PEG-NH2 and BLG-NCA in one pot and did not need an extra initiator. After deprotection, the poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(l-glutamate acid) (PEG-PGA) with high Mn as a second product can be used as an excellent antitumor drug carrier. The high Mn PEG-PGA can achieve an encapsulation rate of 86.7% and a drug loading rate of 47.3%, which is twice that of the low Mn PEG-PGA. As a result, the synthesis of PEG-PBLG by relay polymerization simplified the process of PEG-PAA polymerization and increased the Mn. In addition, this method opened a way to obtain other kinds of high Mn PEG-PBLG values in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhimin Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Yunan Yuan
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Ling Li
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Dayang Xie
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361024, China
| | - Chong Liu
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Tong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Zhaopei Guo
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Kai Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Yanhui Li
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361024, China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Huayu Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
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Zhang Y, Lu Y, Li Y, Xu Y, Song W. Poly(Glutamic Acid)-Engineered Nanoplatforms for Enhanced Cancer Phototherapy. Curr Drug Deliv 2024; 21:326-338. [PMID: 36650626 DOI: 10.2174/1567201820666230116164511] [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: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Phototherapies, including photothermal therapy and photodynamic therapy, have gained booming development over the past several decades for their attractive non-invasiveness nature, negligible adverse effects, minimal systemic toxicity, and high spatial selectivity. Phototherapy usually requires three components: light irradiation, photosensitizers, and molecular oxygen. Photosensitizers can convert light energy into heat or reactive oxygen species, which can be used in the tumor-killing process. The direct application of photosensitizers in tumor therapy is restricted by their poor water solubility, fast clearance, severe toxicity, and low cellular uptake. The encapsulation of photosensitizers into nanostructures is an attractive strategy to overcome these critical limitations. Poly(glutamic acid) (PGA) is a kind of poly(amino acid)s containing the repeating units of glutamic acid. PGA has superiority for cancer treatment because of its good biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, and modulated pH responsiveness. The hydrophilicity nature of PGA allows the physical entrapment of photosensitizers and anticancer drugs via the construction of amphiphilic polymers. Moreover, the pendent carboxyl groups of PGA enable chemical conjugation with therapeutic agents. In this mini-review, we highlight the stateof- the-art design and fabrication of PGA-based nanoplatforms for phototherapy. We also discuss the potential challenges and future perspectives of phototherapy, and clinical translation of PGA-based nanomedicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai-201318, P. R. China
| | - Yiming Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai-201318, P. R. China
| | - Yicong Li
- School of Materials and Chemistry, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai-200093, P. R. China
| | - Yixin Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai-201318, P. R. China
| | - Wenliang Song
- School of Materials and Chemistry, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai-200093, P. R. China
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Liu Y, Ren Z, Zhang N, Yang X, Wu Q, Cheng Z, Xing H, Bai Y. A nanoscale MOF-based heterogeneous catalytic system for the polymerization of N-carboxyanhydrides enables direct routes toward both polypeptides and related hybrid materials. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5598. [PMID: 37699870 PMCID: PMC10497576 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41252-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic polypeptides have emerged as versatile tools in both materials science and biomedical engineering due to their tunable properties and biodegradability. While the advancements of N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) ring-opening polymerization (ROP) techniques have aimed to expedite polymerization and reduce environment sensitivity, the broader implications of such methods remain underexplored, and the integration of ROP products with other materials remains a challenge. Here, we show an approach inspired by the success of many heterogeneous catalysts, using nanoscale metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as co-catalysts for NCA-ROP accelerated also by peptide helices in proximity. This heterogeneous approach offers multiple advantages, including fast kinetics, low environment sensitivity, catalyst recyclability, and seamless integration with hybrid materials preparation. The catalytic system not only streamlines the preparation of polypeptides and polypeptide-coated MOF complexes (MOF@polypeptide hybrids) but also preserves and enhances their homogeneity, processibility, and overall functionalities inherited from the constituting MOFs and polypeptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo-/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, 2 South Lushan Road, 410082, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhongwu Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo-/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, 2 South Lushan Road, 410082, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Nannan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo-/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, 2 South Lushan Road, 410082, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaoxin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo-/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, 2 South Lushan Road, 410082, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Qihua Wu
- Jordan Valley Innovation Center, Missouri State University, 524 North Boonville Avenue, Springfield, MO, 65806, USA
| | - Zehong Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo-/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, 2 South Lushan Road, 410082, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hang Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo-/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, 2 South Lushan Road, 410082, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Yugang Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo-/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, 2 South Lushan Road, 410082, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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9
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Achiral organoiodine-functionalized helical polyisocyanides for multiple asymmetric dearomative oxidations. Nat Commun 2023; 14:566. [PMID: 36732532 PMCID: PMC9894859 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36327-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Immobilizing organocatalyst onto helical polymers not only facilitates the catalyst recycling from homogeneous reactions, but also boosts enantioselectivity. In this work, achiral organoiodine-functionalized single left- and right-handed helical polyisocyanides were prepared from the same monomers, which catalyzed three asymmetric oxidations gave the desired products in high yields and excellent enantioselectivity. The enantiomeric excess of the target products was up to 95%. Remarkably, the enantioselectivity can be switched by reversing the helicity of the polymer backbone. The polymer catalysts can be facilely recovered and recycled in different asymmetric oxidations with maintained excellent activity and enantioselectivity.
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10
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Lv W, Wang Y, Li M, Wang X, Tao Y. Precision Synthesis of Polypeptides via Living Anionic Ring-Opening Polymerization of N-Carboxyanhydrides by Tri-thiourea Catalysts. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:23622-23632. [PMID: 36533423 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c10950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The chemistry of α-amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs) has a history of over 100 years, but precise and efficient ring-opening polymerization methods for NCAs remain highly needed to facilitate the studies of polypeptides─that is, mimics of natural proteins─in various disciplines. Moreover, the universally accepted NCA polymerization mechanisms are largely limited to the "amine" and the "activated monomer" mechanisms, and the anionic ring-opening polymerization of NCAs has so far not been invoked. Herein, we show an unprecedented anion-binding catalytic system combining tripodal tri-thiourea with sodium thiophenolate that enables the fast and selective anionic ring-opening polymerization of NCAs. This method leads to the precision construction of various polypeptides with living polymerization behavior and is evidenced by narrow molecular weight distributions (Mw/Mn < 1.2), chain extension experiments, and minimal "activated monomer" pathway. Calculations and experimental results elucidate a living anionic polymerization mechanism, and high selectivities for monomer propagation relative to other deleterious side reactions, such as the "activated monomer" pathway, are attributed to the enhanced stabilization of the propagating carbamate anion, which is enforced by an intramolecular hydrogen bond within the tri-thiourea structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxiu Lv
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Renmin Street 5625, Changchun 130022, People's Republic of China.,University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanchao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Renmin Street 5625, Changchun 130022, People's Republic of China.,University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, People's Republic of China
| | - Maosheng Li
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Renmin Street 5625, Changchun 130022, People's Republic of China
| | - Xianhong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Renmin Street 5625, Changchun 130022, People's Republic of China
| | - Youhua Tao
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Renmin Street 5625, Changchun 130022, People's Republic of China.,University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, People's Republic of China
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11
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Zhang Y, Kim I, Lu Y, Xu Y, Yu DG, Song W. Intelligent poly(l-histidine)-based nanovehicles for controlled drug delivery. J Control Release 2022; 349:963-982. [PMID: 35944751 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems based on polymeric nanovehicles are among the most promising treatment regimens for malignant cancers. Such intelligent systems that release payloads in response to the physiological characteristics of tumor sites have several advantages over conventional drug carriers, offering, in particular, enhanced therapeutic effects and decreased toxicity. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is acidic, suggesting the potential of pH-responsive nanovehicles for enhancing treatment specificity and efficacy. The synthetic polypeptide poly(l-histidine) (PLH) is an appropriate candidate for the preparation of pH-responsive nanovehicles because the pKa of PLH (approximately 6.0) is close to the pH of the acidic TME. In addition, the pendent imidazole rings of PLH yield pH-dependent hydrophobic-to-hydrophilic phase transitions in the acidic TME, triggering the destabilization of nanovehicles and the subsequent release of encapsulated chemotherapeutic agents. Herein, we highlight the state-of-the-art design and construction of pH-responsive nanovehicles based on PLH and discuss the future challenges and perspectives of this fascinating biomaterial for targeted cancer treatment and "benchtop-to-clinic" translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai 201318, PR China.
| | - Il Kim
- School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yiming Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai 201318, PR China
| | - Yixin Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai 201318, PR China
| | - Deng-Guang Yu
- School of Materials and Chemistry, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, PR China.
| | - Wenliang Song
- School of Materials and Chemistry, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, PR China.
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12
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Liu Y, Zhao C, Chen C. Chirality-Governed UCST Behavior in Polypeptides. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yali Liu
- Ningbo Key Laboratory of Specialty Polymers, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Chuanzhuang Zhao
- Ningbo Key Laboratory of Specialty Polymers, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Chongyi Chen
- Ningbo Key Laboratory of Specialty Polymers, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
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13
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Nisal R, Jayakannan M. Tertiary-Butylbenzene Functionalization as a Strategy for β-Sheet Polypeptides. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:2667-2684. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c00416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Nisal
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER Pune), Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, Maharashtra, India
| | - Manickam Jayakannan
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER Pune), Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, Maharashtra, India
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14
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Recent Advances in Poly(α- L-glutamic acid)-Based Nanomaterials for Drug Delivery. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12050636. [PMID: 35625562 PMCID: PMC9138577 DOI: 10.3390/biom12050636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Poly(α-L-glutamic acid) (PGA) is a class of synthetic polypeptides composed of the monomeric unit α-L-glutamic acid. Owing to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and non-immunogenicity, PGA-based nanomaterials have been elaborately designed for drug delivery systems. Relevant studies including the latest research results on PGA-based nanomaterials for drug delivery have been discussed in this work. The following related topics are summarized as: (1) a brief description of the synthetic strategies of PGAs; (2) an elaborated presentation of the evolving applications of PGA in the areas of drug delivery, including the rational design, precise fabrication, and biological evaluation; (3) a profound discussion on the further development of PGA-based nanomaterials in drug delivery. In summary, the unique structures and superior properties enables PGA-based nanomaterials to represent as an enormous potential in biomaterials-related drug delivery areas.
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15
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Zhang C, Lu H. Helical Nonfouling Polypeptides for Biomedical Applications. CHINESE JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10118-022-2688-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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16
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Fu H, Baumgartner R, Song Z, Chen C, Cheng J, Lin Y. Generalized Model of Cooperative Covalent Polymerization: Connecting the Supramolecular Binding Interactions with the Catalytic Behavior. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c02606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hailin Fu
- Department of Chemistry and Polymer Program at the Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Ryan Baumgartner
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Ziyuan Song
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Chongyi Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Jianjun Cheng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Yao Lin
- Department of Chemistry and Polymer Program at the Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
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17
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Wang X, Yang F, Yang H, Zhang X, Tang H, Luan S. Preparation of antibacterial polypeptides with different topologies and their antibacterial properties. Biomater Sci 2022; 10:834-845. [PMID: 35005755 DOI: 10.1039/d1bm01620b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are attractive antimicrobial agents used to combat bacterial infections, and have been advanced to be one of the most promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics. They stand out for their attractive broad-spectrum activity, unmatched antibacterial mechanism that is not prone to develop drug resistance and diversified topologies, which can be fabricated with manifold amino acid blocks. In this study, using n-hexylamine and amine-terminated polyamidoamine dendrimers (Gx-PAMAM, x = 1-2) as initiators, a series of AMPs with linear and star-shaped topological structures were constructed via the controllable ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs). The antibacterial performances of the tailored linear and star-shaped AMPs were comprehensively evaluated in both solution states and surface-bonded states. The results indicated that the star-shaped AMPs exhibited enhanced bactericidal activity against Gram-negative E. coli and similar bactericidal activity against Gram-positive S. aureus when compared with the linear AMPs. It is worth mentioning that star-shaped AMPs demonstrated a significantly faster bactericidal efficiency (completely killed bacteria within 5 min at a concentration of 2 × MIC for S. aureus) than their linear analogues (took 15 min to achieve the same effect). However, when the AMPs were immobilized to the surface, they similarly exhibited superior antibacterial activity and fast bactericidal efficiency towards S. aureus and E. coli in the case of the same surface grafting amount. In addition, both the surfaces grafted with AMPs of different topologies demonstrated favorable biocompatibility in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, P. R. China. .,University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, P. R. China
| | - Fangping Yang
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science & Technology, Soochow University, 199 Ren'ai Road, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, P. R. China.
| | - Huawei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, P. R. China. .,University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, P. R. China
| | - Xu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, P. R. China.
| | - Haoyu Tang
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science & Technology, Soochow University, 199 Ren'ai Road, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, P. R. China.
| | - Shifang Luan
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, P. R. China. .,University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, P. R. China
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18
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Shi QX, Li Q, Xiao H, Sun XL, Bao H, Wan WM. Room-temperature Barbier single-atom polymerization induced emission as a versatile approach for the utilization of monofunctional carboxylic acid resources. Polym Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d1py01493e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Barbier polymerization is realized at room-temperature with single-atom polymerization and polymerization-induced emission characteristics, which exhibits capability on sensitive explosive detection and artificial light-harvesting system fabrication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan-Xi Shi
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Coal to Ethylene Glycol and Its Related Technology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 155 West Yangqiao Road, Fuzhou 350002, P. R. of China
| | - Qian Li
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Coal to Ethylene Glycol and Its Related Technology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 155 West Yangqiao Road, Fuzhou 350002, P. R. of China
| | - Hang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Coal to Ethylene Glycol and Its Related Technology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 155 West Yangqiao Road, Fuzhou 350002, P. R. of China
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Polymer Green Recycling of Ministry of Education, Fujian Key Laboratory of Pollution Control & Resource Reuse, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Li Sun
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Polymer Green Recycling of Ministry of Education, Fujian Key Laboratory of Pollution Control & Resource Reuse, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, P. R. China
| | - Hongli Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Coal to Ethylene Glycol and Its Related Technology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 155 West Yangqiao Road, Fuzhou 350002, P. R. of China
| | - Wen-Ming Wan
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Coal to Ethylene Glycol and Its Related Technology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 155 West Yangqiao Road, Fuzhou 350002, P. R. of China
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19
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Li K, Li Z, Shen Y, Fu X, Chen C, Li Z. Organobase 1,1,3,3-tetramethyl guanidine catalyzed rapid ring-opening polymerization of α-amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides adaptive to amine, alcohol and carboxyl acid initiators. Polym Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d1py01508g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
For amine, hydroxyl and carboxyl terminated initiators, the organobase 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine (TMG) catalyzes the rapid polymerization to afford polypeptides with controllable molecular weights and dispersities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Li
- Key Laboratory of Biobased Polymer Materials, Shandong Provincial Education Department, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Zheng Li
- Key Laboratory of Biobased Polymer Materials, Shandong Provincial Education Department, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Yong Shen
- State Key Laboratory Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Xiaohui Fu
- Key Laboratory of Biobased Polymer Materials, Shandong Provincial Education Department, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Chongyi Chen
- Ningbo Key Laboratory of Specialty Polymers, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Zhibo Li
- Key Laboratory of Biobased Polymer Materials, Shandong Provincial Education Department, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
- State Key Laboratory Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
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20
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Li L, Cen J, Pan W, Zhang Y, Leng X, Tan Z, Yin H, Liu S. Synthesis of Polypeptides with High-Fidelity Terminal Functionalities under NCA Monomer-Starved Conditions. RESEARCH (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2021; 2021:9826046. [PMID: 34877538 PMCID: PMC8617576 DOI: 10.34133/2021/9826046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Controlled polypeptide synthesis via α-amino acid N-carboxylic anhydride (NCA) polymerization using conventional primary amine initiators encounters two major obstacles: (i) normal amine mechanism (NAM) and activated monomer mechanism (AMM) coexist due to amine basicity and nucleophilicity and (ii) NCA is notoriously sensitive towards moisture and heat and unstable upon storage. We serendipitously discover that N-phenoxycarbonyl-functionalized α-amino acid (NPCA), a latent NCA precursor, could be polymerized solely based on NAM with high initiating efficiency by using primary amine hydrochloride as an initiator. The polymerization affords well-defined polypeptides with narrow polydispersity and high-fidelity terminal functionalities, as revealed by the clean set of MALDI-TOF MS patterns. We further demonstrate successful syntheses of random and block copolypeptides, even under open-vessel conditions. Overall, the integration of moisture-insensitive and air-tolerant NPCA precursors with stable primary amine hydrochloride initiators represents a general strategy for controlled synthesis of high-fidelity polypeptides with sophisticated functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Li
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Jie Cen
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Wenhao Pan
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Yuben Zhang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Xuanxi Leng
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Zhengqi Tan
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Hao Yin
- Mass Spectrometry Lab, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Shiyong Liu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
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21
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Zheng B, Bai T, Tao X, Ling J. An Inspection into Multifarious Ways to Synthesize Poly(Amino Acid)s. Macromol Rapid Commun 2021; 42:e2100453. [PMID: 34562289 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202100453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Poly(α-amino acid)s (PAAs) attract growing attention due to their essential role in the application as biomaterials. To synthesize PAAs with desired structures and properties, scientists have developed various synthetic techniques with respective advantages. Here, different approaches to preparing PAAs are inspected. Basic features and recent progresses of these methods are summarized, including polymerizations of amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs), amino acid N-thiocarboxyanhydrides (NTAs), and N-phenoxycarbonyl amino acids (NPCs), as well as other synthetic routes. NCA is the most classical monomer to prepare PAAs with high molecular weights (MWs). NTA polymerizations are promising alternative pathways to produce PAAs, which can tolerate nucleophiles including alcohols, mercaptans, carboxyl acids, and water. By various techniques including choosing appropriate solvents or using organic acids as promoters, NTAs polymerize to produce polypeptoids and polypeptides with narrow dispersities and designed MWs up to 55.0 and 57.0 kg mol-1 , respectively. NPC polymerizations are phosgene-free ways to synthesize polypeptides and polypeptoids. For the future prospects, detail investigations into polymerization mechanisms of NTA and NPC are expected. The synthesis of PAAs with designed topologies and assembly structures is another intriguing topic. The advantages and unsettled problems in various synthetic ways are discussed for readers to choose appropriate approaches for PAAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Botuo Zheng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Polymer Science, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China
| | - Tianwen Bai
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Xinfeng Tao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Jun Ling
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
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22
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Liu Y, Yin L. α-Amino acid N-carboxyanhydride (NCA)-derived synthetic polypeptides for nucleic acids delivery. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 171:139-163. [PMID: 33333206 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2020.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, gene therapy has come into the spotlight for the prevention and treatment of a wide range of diseases. Polypeptides have been widely used in mediating nucleic acid delivery, due to their versatilities in chemical structures, desired biodegradability, and low cytotoxicity. Chemistry plays an essential role in the development of innovative polypeptides to address the challenges of producing efficient and safe gene vectors. In this Review, we mainly focused on the latest chemical advances in the design and preparation of polypeptide-based nucleic acid delivery vehicles. We first discussed the synthetic approach of polypeptides via ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs), and introduced the various types of polypeptide-based gene delivery systems. The extracellular and intracellular barriers against nucleic acid delivery were then outlined, followed by detailed review on the recent advances in polypeptide-based delivery systems that can overcome these barriers to enable in vitro and in vivo gene transfection. Finally, we concluded this review with perspectives in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Lichen Yin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
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23
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Preparation and solution properties of helical sulfonium-based polypeptides and their polyelectrolyte complexes. Eur Polym J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2021.110390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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24
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Ge C, Ye H, Wu F, Zhu J, Song Z, Liu Y, Yin L. Biological applications of water-soluble polypeptides with ordered secondary structures. J Mater Chem B 2021; 8:6530-6547. [PMID: 32567639 DOI: 10.1039/d0tb00902d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Water-soluble polypeptides are a class of synthetic polymers with peptide bond frameworks imitating natural proteins and have broad prospects in biological applications. The regulation and dynamic transition of the secondary structures of water-soluble polypeptides have a great impact on their physio-chemical properties and biological functions. In this review article, we briefly introduce the current strategies to synthesize polypeptides and modulate their secondary structures. We then discuss the factors affecting the conformational stability/transition of polypeptides and the potential impact of side-chain functionalization on the ordered secondary structures, such as α-helix and β-sheet. We then summarize the biological applications of water-soluble polypeptides such as cell penetration, gene delivery, and antimicrobial treatment, highlighting the important roles of ordered secondary structures therein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenglong Ge
- Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science & Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
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25
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Xia Y, Song Z, Tan Z, Xue T, Wei S, Zhu L, Yang Y, Fu H, Jiang Y, Lin Y, Lu Y, Ferguson AL, Cheng J. Accelerated polymerization of N-carboxyanhydrides catalyzed by crown ether. Nat Commun 2021; 12:732. [PMID: 33531482 PMCID: PMC7854670 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20724-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent advances in accelerated polymerization of N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs) enriched the toolbox to prepare well-defined polypeptide materials. Herein we report the use of crown ether (CE) to catalyze the polymerization of NCA initiated by conventional primary amine initiators in solvents with low polarity and low hydrogen-bonding ability. The cyclic structure of the CE played a crucial role in the catalysis, with 18-crown-6 enabling the fastest polymerization kinetics. The fast polymerization kinetics outpaced common side reactions, enabling the preparation of well-defined polypeptides using an α-helical macroinitiator. Experimental results as well as the simulation methods suggested that CE changed the binding geometry between NCA and propagating amino chain-end, which promoted the molecular interactions and lowered the activation energy for ring-opening reactions of NCAs. This work not only provides an efficient strategy to prepare well-defined polypeptides with functionalized C-termini, but also guides the design of catalysts for NCA polymerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingchun Xia
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Institute of Polymer Science, College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, 410082, Changsha, China
| | - Ziyuan Song
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Zhengzhong Tan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Tianrui Xue
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Shiqi Wei
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Lingyang Zhu
- NMR Laboratory, School of Chemical Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Yingfeng Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Hailin Fu
- Department of Chemistry and Polymer Program, Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Yunjiang Jiang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Yao Lin
- Department of Chemistry and Polymer Program, Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Yanbing Lu
- Institute of Polymer Science, College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, 410082, Changsha, China.
| | - Andrew L Ferguson
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Jianjun Cheng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
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26
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Zhao W, Lv Y, Li J, Feng Z, Ni Y, Hadjichristidis N. A Synthetic Method for Site‐Specific Functionalized Polypeptides: Metal‐Free, Highly Active, and Selective at Room Temperature. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 60:889-895. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.202009316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhao
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering Shaanxi University of Science and Technology Xi'an 710021 People's Republic of China
| | - Yanfeng Lv
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering Shaanxi University of Science and Technology Xi'an 710021 People's Republic of China
| | - Ji Li
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering Shaanxi University of Science and Technology Xi'an 710021 People's Republic of China
| | - Zihao Feng
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering Shaanxi University of Science and Technology Xi'an 710021 People's Republic of China
| | - Yonghao Ni
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of New Brunswick, Fredericton New Brunswick E3B 5A3 Canada
| | - Nikos Hadjichristidis
- KAUST Catalysis Center Polymer Synthesis Laboratory Physical Sciences and Engineering Division King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal 23955 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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27
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Zhao W, Lv Y, Li J, Feng Z, Ni Y, Hadjichristidis N. A Synthetic Method for Site‐Specific Functionalized Polypeptides: Metal‐Free, Highly Active, and Selective at Room Temperature. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202009316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhao
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering Shaanxi University of Science and Technology Xi'an 710021 People's Republic of China
| | - Yanfeng Lv
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering Shaanxi University of Science and Technology Xi'an 710021 People's Republic of China
| | - Ji Li
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering Shaanxi University of Science and Technology Xi'an 710021 People's Republic of China
| | - Zihao Feng
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering Shaanxi University of Science and Technology Xi'an 710021 People's Republic of China
| | - Yonghao Ni
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of New Brunswick, Fredericton New Brunswick E3B 5A3 Canada
| | - Nikos Hadjichristidis
- KAUST Catalysis Center Polymer Synthesis Laboratory Physical Sciences and Engineering Division King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal 23955 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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28
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Bauer TA, Muhl C, Schollmeyer D, Barz M. Racemic S-(ethylsulfonyl)-dl-cysteine N-Carboxyanhydrides Improve Chain Lengths and Monomer Conversion for β-Sheet-Controlled Ring-Opening Polymerization. Macromol Rapid Commun 2020; 42:e2000470. [PMID: 33047403 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202000470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The secondary structure formation of polypeptides not only governs folding and solution self-assembly but also affects the nucleophilic ring-opening polymerization of α-amino acid-N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs). Whereby helical structures are known to enhance polymerization rates, β-sheet-like assemblies reduce the propagation rate or may even terminate chain growth by precipitation or gelation. To overcome these unfavorable properties, racemic mixtures of NCAs can be applied. In this work, racemic S-(ethylsulfonyl)-dl-cysteine NCA is investigated for the synthesis of polypeptides, diblock and triblock copolypept(o)ides. In contrast to the polymerization of stereoregular S-(ethylsulfonyl)-l-cysteine NCA, the reaction of S-(ethylsulfonyl)-dl-cysteine NCA proceeds with a rate constant of up to kp = 1.70 × 10-3 L mol-1 s -1 and is slightly faster than the enatiopure polymerization. While the polymerization of S-(ethylsulfonyl)-l-cysteine NCA suffers from incomplete monomer conversion and degrees of polymerization (DPs) limited to 30-40, racemic mixtures yield polypeptides with DPs of up to 102 with high conversion rates and well-defined dispersities (1.2-1.3). The controlled living nature of the ring-opening polymerization of S-(ethylsulfonyl)-dl-cysteine NCA thus enables the synthesis of triblock copolymers by sequential monomer addition. This methodology allows for precise control over DPs of individual blocks and yields uniform triblock copolymers with symmetric molecular weight distributions at a reduced synthetic effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias A Bauer
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Department of Chemistry, Duesbergweg 10-14, 55128, Mainz, Germany.,Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR), Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, Leiden, 2333 CC, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Muhl
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Department of Chemistry, Duesbergweg 10-14, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Dieter Schollmeyer
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Department of Chemistry, Duesbergweg 10-14, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias Barz
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Department of Chemistry, Duesbergweg 10-14, 55128, Mainz, Germany.,Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR), Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, Leiden, 2333 CC, The Netherlands
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29
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Eckhart KE, Starvaggi FA, Sydlik SA. One-Shot Synthesis of Peptide Amphiphiles with Applications in Directed Graphenic Assembly. Biomacromolecules 2020; 21:3878-3886. [PMID: 32687328 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.0c00962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
High molecular weight, synthetic block copolypeptides that self-assemble are in high demand for biomedical applications. The current standard method for synthesis of block copolypeptides is the controlled ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of α-amino acid N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) monomers, where block architectures can be created by sequential NCA monomer addition. Recently, researchers have focused on developing reaction conditions and initiation systems that make NCA ROP more convenient, particularly for interdisciplinary labs without designated polypeptide facilities. In an effort to further simplify and increase the convenience of polypeptide synthesis, we developed a one-shot copolymerization strategy that allows access to block copolypeptides by capitalizing on the inherently faster reactivity of NCA monomers, compared to NTA (N-thiocarboxyanhydride) monomers. For the first time, we combine an NCA and NTA monomer in one reaction to kinetically promote block copolypeptide formation, providing a convenient alternative to sequential monomer addition. The controlled nature of this copolymerization technique is supported by a molecular weight that is modulated by the concentration of the initiator and low dispersities. We used this one-shot copolymerization to synthesize p(lysine)-b-p(leucine), a known peptide amphiphile (PA). Our one-shot PAs are antimicrobial and can spontaneously form ordered, micron-scale assemblies. Covalent conjugation of one-shot PAs to a graphenic backbone results in a functional graphenic material (FGM) with a self-assembled morphology, paving the way for creation of sophisticated FGM scaffolds with polypeptide-templated, hierarchical order. Overall, we demonstrate that this novel, one-shot copolymerization strategy produces functional copolypeptides with macroscopic sequence control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karoline E Eckhart
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Francesca A Starvaggi
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Stefanie A Sydlik
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
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30
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Xue T, Song Z, Wang Y, Zhu B, Zhao Z, Tan Z, Wang X, Xia Y, Cheng J. Streamlined Synthesis of PEG-Polypeptides Directly from Amino Acids. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c00470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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31
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Vrijsen JH, Rasines Mazo A, Junkers T, Qiao GG. Accelerated Polypeptide Synthesis via
N
‐Carboxyanhydride Ring Opening Polymerization in Continuous Flow. Macromol Rapid Commun 2020; 41:e2000071. [DOI: 10.1002/marc.202000071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen Hendrik Vrijsen
- The Polymer Science Group Department of Chemical Engineering The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria 3010 Australia
- Organic and (Bio‐)Polymer Chemistry Institute for Materials Research Hasselt University Agoralaan D 3590 Diepenbeek Belgium
| | - Alicia Rasines Mazo
- The Polymer Science Group Department of Chemical Engineering The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria 3010 Australia
| | - Tanja Junkers
- Organic and (Bio‐)Polymer Chemistry Institute for Materials Research Hasselt University Agoralaan D 3590 Diepenbeek Belgium
- Polymer Reaction Design Group School of Chemistry Monash University Clayton Victoria 3800 Australia
| | - Greg Guanghua Qiao
- The Polymer Science Group Department of Chemical Engineering The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria 3010 Australia
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32
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Shi Z, Zhang X, Wang X, Yang F, Yu Z, Ling Y, Lu H, Luan S, Tang H. Synthesis and Properties of Mono- or Diamine-Initiated Imidazolium-Based Cationic Polypeptides. Biomacromolecules 2020; 21:3468-3478. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.0c00953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zuowen Shi
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, Hunan 411105, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Xiaodan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Fangping Yang
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Zikun Yu
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Ying Ling
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, Hunan 411105, China
| | - Hua Lu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Shifang Luan
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Haoyu Tang
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, Hunan 411105, China
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
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33
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Leigh T, Fernandez-Trillo P. Helical polymers for biological and medical applications. Nat Rev Chem 2020; 4:291-310. [PMID: 37127955 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-020-0180-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Helices are the most prevalent secondary structure in biomolecules and play vital roles in their activity. Chemists have been fascinated with mimicking this molecular conformation with synthetic materials. Research has now been devoted to the synthesis and characterization of helical materials, and to understand the design principles behind this molecular architecture. In parallel, work has been done to develop synthetic polymers for biological and medical applications. We now have access to materials with controlled size, molecular conformation, multivalency or functionality. As a result, synthetic polymers are being investigated in areas such as drug and gene delivery, tissue engineering, imaging and sensing, or as polymer therapeutics. Here, we provide a critical view of where these two fields, helical polymers and polymers for biological and medical applications, overlap. We have selected relevant polymer families and examples to illustrate the range of applications that can be targeted and the impact of the helical conformation on the performance. For each family of polymers, we briefly describe how they can be prepared, what helical conformations are observed and what parameters control helicity. We close this Review with an outlook of the challenges ahead, including the characterization of helicity through the process and the identification of biocompatibility.
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34
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Lv S, Kim H, Song Z, Feng L, Yang Y, Baumgartner R, Tseng KY, Dillon SJ, Leal C, Yin L, Cheng J. Unimolecular Polypeptide Micelles via Ultrafast Polymerization of N-Carboxyanhydrides. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:8570-8574. [PMID: 32196323 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c01173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Polypeptide micelles are widely used as biocompatible nanoplatforms but often suffer from their poor structural stability. Unimolecular polypeptide micelles can effectively address the structure instability issue, but their synthesis with uniform structure and well-controlled and desired sizes remains challenging. Herein we report the convenient preparation of spherical unimolecular micelles through dendritic polyamine-initiated ultrafast ring-opening polymerization of N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs). Synthetic polypeptides with exceptionally high molecular weights (up to 85 MDa) and low dispersity (Đ < 1.05) can be readily obtained, which are the biggest synthetic polypeptides ever reported. The degree of polymerization was controlled in a vast range (25-3200), giving access to nearly monodisperse unimolecular micelles with predictable sizes. Many NCA monomers can be polymerized using this ultrafast polymerization method, which enables the incorporation of various structural and functional moieties into the unimolecular micelles. Because of the simplicity of the synthesis and superior control over the structure, the unimolecular polypeptide micelles may find applications in nanomedicine, supermolecular chemistry, and bionanotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shixian Lv
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Hojun Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Center for Biomaterials, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Ziyuan Song
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Lin Feng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Yingfeng Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Ryan Baumgartner
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Kuan-Ying Tseng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Shen J Dillon
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Cecilia Leal
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Lichen Yin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Jianjun Cheng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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35
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Grazon C, Salas‐Ambrosio P, Ibarboure E, Buol A, Garanger E, Grinstaff MW, Lecommandoux S, Bonduelle C. Aqueous Ring‐Opening Polymerization‐Induced Self‐Assembly (ROPISA) of N‐Carboxyanhydrides. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:622-626. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201912028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Grazon
- CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629Univ. Bordeaux 33600 Pessac France
- Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical EngineeringBoston University Boston MA USA
| | | | | | - Alix Buol
- CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629Univ. Bordeaux 33600 Pessac France
| | | | - Mark W. Grinstaff
- Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical EngineeringBoston University Boston MA USA
| | | | - Colin Bonduelle
- CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629Univ. Bordeaux 33600 Pessac France
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36
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Rasines Mazo A, Allison-Logan S, Karimi F, Chan NJA, Qiu W, Duan W, O’Brien-Simpson NM, Qiao GG. Ring opening polymerization of α-amino acids: advances in synthesis, architecture and applications of polypeptides and their hybrids. Chem Soc Rev 2020; 49:4737-4834. [DOI: 10.1039/c9cs00738e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in the synthesis, architectural design and biomedical applications of polypeptides and their hybrids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Rasines Mazo
- Polymer Science Group
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- University of Melbourne
- Parkville
- Australia
| | - Stephanie Allison-Logan
- Polymer Science Group
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- University of Melbourne
- Parkville
- Australia
| | - Fatemeh Karimi
- Polymer Science Group
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- University of Melbourne
- Parkville
- Australia
| | - Nicholas Jun-An Chan
- Polymer Science Group
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- University of Melbourne
- Parkville
- Australia
| | - Wenlian Qiu
- Polymer Science Group
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- University of Melbourne
- Parkville
- Australia
| | - Wei Duan
- School of Medicine
- Deakin University
- Geelong
- Australia
| | - Neil M. O’Brien-Simpson
- Centre for Oral Health Research
- Melbourne Dental School and the Bio21 Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology
- University of Melbourne
- Parkville
- Australia
| | - Greg G. Qiao
- Polymer Science Group
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- University of Melbourne
- Parkville
- Australia
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37
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Aqueous Ring‐Opening Polymerization‐Induced Self‐Assembly (ROPISA) of N‐Carboxyanhydrides. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201912028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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38
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Wang X, Song Z, Tan Z, Zhu L, Xue T, Lv S, Fu Z, Zheng X, Ren J, Cheng J. Facile synthesis of helical multiblock copolypeptides: minimal side reactions with accelerated polymerization of N-carboxyanhydrides. ACS Macro Lett 2019; 8:1517-1521. [PMID: 32775039 PMCID: PMC7413168 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.9b00784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Multiblock copolypeptides have attracted broad interests because their potential to form ordered structures and possess protein-mimetic functions. Controlled synthesis of multiblock copolypeptides through the sequential addition of N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs), especially with the block number higher than five, however, is challenging and rarely reported due to competing side reactions during the polymerization process. Herein we report the unprecedented synthesis of block copolypeptides with up to 20 blocks, enabled by ultrafast polypeptide chain propagation in a water/chloroform emulsion system that outpaces side reactions and ensures high end-group fidelity. Well-defined multiblock copolypeptides with desired block numbers, block lengths, and block sequences as well as very low dispersity were readily attainable in a few hours. This method paves the way for the fast production of a large number of sequence-regulated multiblock copolypeptide materials, which may exhibit interesting assembly behaviors and biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefang Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Civil Engineering Materials, Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China
- Institute of Nano and Biopolymeric Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China
| | - Ziyuan Song
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Zhengzhong Tan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Lingyang Zhu
- NMR Laboratory, School of Chemical Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Tianrui Xue
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Shixian Lv
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Zihuan Fu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Xuetao Zheng
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Jie Ren
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Civil Engineering Materials, Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China
- Institute of Nano and Biopolymeric Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China
| | - Jianjun Cheng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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39
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan J. Walsh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Michael G. Hyatt
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Susannah A. Miller
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Damien Guironnet
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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40
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Song Z, Tan Z, Cheng J. Recent Advances and Future Perspectives of Synthetic Polypeptides from N-Carboxyanhydrides. Macromolecules 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b01450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ziyuan Song
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Zhengzhong Tan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Jianjun Cheng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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