title: Structure-property relationships of meta-kerateine biomaterials derived from human hair.
abstract: The structure-property relationships of kerateine materials were studied by separating crude hair extracts into two protein sub-fractions, referred to as α- and γ-kerateines, followed by their de novo recombination into meta-kerateine hydrogels, sponges and films. The kerateine fractions were characterized using electrophoresis and mass spectrometry, which revealed that the α-fraction contained complexes of type I and type II keratins and that the γ-fraction was primarily protein fragments of the α-fraction along with three proteins of the KAP-1 family. Meta-kerateine materials with increased amounts of γ-kerateines showed diminished physical, mechanical and biological characteristics. Most notably, materials with higher γ-content formed less elastic and less solid-like hydrogels and sponges that were less hydrolytically stable. In addition, a model biological assay showed that meta-kerateine films with greater amounts of γ-kerateines were less supportive of hepatocyte attachment. Investigation into the mechanism of attachment revealed that hepatocyte adhesion to meta-kerateines is not mediated by the β1 integrin subunit, despite the presence of LDV binding motifs within the type I α-keratins. This work to define the role of protein composition on biomaterial function is essential for the optimization of keratin biomaterials for biomedical applications.
authors.affiliation: Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Jillian R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: Roche C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: de Guzman
authors.forename: Olga K
authors.initials: OK
authors.lastname: Greengauz-Roberts
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Dyke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry; D007633:Keratins / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D016062:Porosity; D011487:Protein Conformation; D051381:Rats; D033081:Shear Strength; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D020100:Hydrogels; D007633:Keratins