title: Directed intermixing in multicomponent self-assembling biomaterials.
abstract: The noncovalent coassembly of multiple different peptides can be a useful route for producing multifunctional biomaterials. However, to date, such materials have almost exclusively been investigated as homogeneous self-assemblies, having functional components uniformly distributed throughout their supramolecular structures. Here we illustrate control over the intermixing of multiple different self-assembling peptides, in turn providing a simple but powerful means for modulating these materials' mechanical and biological properties. In β-sheet fibrillizing hydrogels, significant increases in stiffening could be achieved using heterobifunctional cross-linkers by sequestering peptides bearing different reactive groups into distinct populations of fibrils, thus favoring interfibril cross-linking. Further, by specifying the intermixing of RGD-bearing peptides in 2-D and 3-D self-assemblies, the growth of HUVECs and NIH 3T3 cells could be significantly modulated. This approach may be immediately applicable toward a wide variety of self-assembling systems that form stable supramolecular structures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, 5841 S Maryland Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States.
authors.forename: Joshua Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Gasiorowski
authors.forename: Joel H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Collier
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry; D004355:Drug Stability; D004548:Elasticity; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D020894:Microfibrils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D020100:Hydrogels; D009842:Oligopeptides; C047981:arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid