title: Multi-colored fibers by self-assembly of DNA, histone proteins, and cationic conjugated polymers.
abstract: The development of biomolecular fiber materials with imaging ability has become more and more useful for biological applications. In this work, cationic conjugated polymers (CCPs) were used to construct inherent fluorescent microfibers with natural biological macromolecules (DNA and histone proteins) through the interfacial polyelectrolyte complexation (IPC) procedure. Isothermal titration microcalorimetry results show that the driving forces for fiber formation are electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, as well as the release of counterions and bound water molecules. Color-encoded IPC fibers were also obtained based on the co-assembly of DNA, histone proteins, and blue-, green-, or red- (RGB-) emissive CCPs by tuning the fluorescence resonance energy-transfer among the CCPs at a single excitation wavelength. The fibers could encapsulate GFP-coded Escherichia coli BL21, and the expression of GFP proteins was successfully regulated by the external environment of the fibers. These multi-colored fibers show a great potential in biomedical applications, such as biosensor, delivery, and release of biological molecules and tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (P. R. China).
authors.forename: Fengyan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Liheng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Libing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Fengting
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Yilin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002412:Cations; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000737:chemistry; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005453:Fluorescence; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry*; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility; D055672:Static Electricity; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D002412:Cations; D004573:Electrolytes; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D006657:Histones; D011108:Polymers; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D004247:DNA
keywords: DNA; conjugation; fibers; polymers; proteins