title: "Setting paint" analogy for the hydrophobic self-association of tropoelastin into elastin-like hydrogel.
abstract: Alkaline tropoelastin solutions (pH 11) were optically clear at low temperatures, but a firm gel formed when the temperature was raised to 37 degrees C. Reversion to a clear solution took place if the temperature was lowered to below 20 degrees C within less than 2 h, but not if 37 degrees C was maintained for several hours. The precipitated elastin-like hydrogel thus formed did not visually redissolve at low temperatures. Tropoelastin hydrogel was stable to subsequent washings with alkaline solution at 37 degrees C, but at 4 degrees C some hydrogel redissolved showing that association is at least partly reversible. Washing the hydrogel with neutral 8M urea solution at 4 degrees C dissolved less than 10% of tropoelastin in 24 h. We characterized this phenomenon by combining temperature-controlled light microscopy analysis, 1H NMR spectroscopy (temperature, diffusion, and relaxation time studies), and UV-absorption-based concentration measurements. The self-association of tropoelastin at pH 11 is due to hydrophobic interactions in an emulsion-like system in which the spherules coalesce in a manner like a water-based latex paint that forms a durable hydrophobic sheet as water and the organic solvent evaporate. In the present case, the sedimentation and entanglement of the tropoelastin porous sheets means that reverse dissolution is a kinetically slow process.
authors.affiliation: School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Naumann
authors.forename: Suzanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mithieux
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Szekely
authors.forename: Yidong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Anthony S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Philip W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Kuchel
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D004058:Diffusion; D004549:Elastin / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008857:Microscopy, Interference; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D012996:Solutions; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D014333:Tropoelastin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012996:Solutions; D014333:Tropoelastin; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D004549:Elastin; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase