title: Dilute self-healing hydrogels of silk-collagen-like block copolypeptides at neutral pH.
abstract: We report on self-healing, pH-responsive hydrogels that are entirely protein-based. The protein is a denovo designed recombinant triblock polypeptide of 66 kg/mol consisting of a silk-like middle block (GAGAGAGH)48, flanked by two long collagen-inspired hydrophilic random coil side blocks. The pH-dependent charge on the histidines in the silk block controls folding and stacking of the silk block. At low pH the protein exists as monomers, but above pH 6 it readily self-assembles into long fibers. At higher concentrations the fibers form self-healing physical gels. Optimal gel strength and self-healing are found at a pH of around 7. The modulus of a 2 wt % gel at pH 7 is G' = 1700 Pa. Being protein-based, and amenable to further sequence engineering, we expect that these proteins are promising scaffold materials to be developed for a broad range of biomedical applications.
authors: Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Colloid Science, Wageningen University , Dreijenplein 6, NL-6703 HB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors: Monika D
authors: MD
authors: Golinska
authors: Małgorzata K
authors: MK
authors: Włodarczyk-Biegun
authors: Marc W T
authors: MW
authors: Werten
authors: Martien A
authors: MA
authors: Cohen Stuart
authors: Frits A
authors: FA
authors: de Wolf
authors: Renko
authors: R
authors: de Vries
mesh_terms: D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012212:Rheology / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D020100:Hydrogels; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D010455:Peptides; D011108:Polymers; D003094:Collagen