A Hydrogel Sensing Pathological Urate Concentrations.
Metabolite-responsive hydrogels that detect pathological metabolite concentrations and react by releasing a therapeutic stimulus hold high promises in treating metabolic diseases. In this study, a hydrogel is described that discriminates between physiological and pathological concentrations of urate, the causative agent of gouty arthritis. The hydrogel is synthesized by coupling a dimeric variant of the Deinococcus radiodurans-derived urate repressor HucR to linear polyacrylamide. The protein-grafted polymer is crosslinked to form a hydrogel by a multimeric hucO DNA sequence [hucO]n specifically binding HucR. At elevated urate concentrations, HucR dissociates from [hucO]n thereby weakening the hydrogel structure and resulting in its dissolution.
Faculty of Biology and BIOSS Center for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 18, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
Christian
C
Geraths
Faculty of Biology and BIOSS Center for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 18, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
Erik H
EH
Christen
Faculty of Biology and BIOSS Center for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 18, 79104 Freiburg, Germany. wilfried.weber@biologie.uni-freiburg.de.
Wilfried
W
Weber
D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000737:chemistry*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry; D004247:DNA / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D034301:Deinococcus / Q000737:chemistry; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000032:analysis*; D000099166:Polyacrylamides
D000180:Acrylic Resins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D004247:DNA; D020100:Hydrogels; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014527:Uric Acid; D000099166:Polyacrylamides