title: Self-assembly of elastin-mimetic double hydrophobic polypeptides.
abstract: We have constructed a novel class of "double-hydrophobic" block polypeptides based on the hydrophobic domains found in native elastin, an extracellular matrix protein responsible for the elasticity and resilience of tissues. The block polypeptides comprise proline-rich poly(VPGXG) and glycine-rich poly(VGGVG), both of which dehydrate at higher temperature but form distinct secondary structures, β-turn and β-sheet respectively. In water at 45 °C, the block polypeptides initially assemble into nanoparticles rich in β-turn structures, which further connect into long (>10 μm), beaded nanofibers along with the increase in the β-sheet content. The nanofibers obtained are well-dispersed in water, and show thermoresponsive properties. Polypeptides comprising each block component assemble into different morphologies, showing that the conjugation of poly(VPGXG) and poly(VGGVG) plays a role for beaded fiber formation. These results may provide innovative ideas for designing peptide-based materials but also opportunities for developing novel materials useful for tissue engineering and drug delivery systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical System Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
authors.forename: Duc H T
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Le
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hanamura
authors.forename: Dieu-Huong
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Tirrell
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okubo
authors.forename: Ayae
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sugawara-Narutaki
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D032701:Biomimetics; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004549:Elastin / Q000737:chemistry*; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D057139:Nanofibers; D053758:Nanoparticles; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D023822:Tissue Engineering
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D004549:Elastin