title: Modulated growth, stability and interactions of liquid-like coacervate assemblies of elastin.
abstract: Elastin self-assembles from monomers into polymer networks that display elasticity and resilience. The first major step in assembly is a liquid-liquid phase separation known as coacervation. This process represents a continuum of stages from initial phase separation to early growth of droplets by coalescence and later "maturation" leading to fiber formation. Assembly of tropoelastin-rich globules is on pathway for fiber formation in vivo. However, little is known about these intermediates beyond their size distribution. Here we investigate the contribution of sequence and structural motifs from full-length tropoelastin and a set of elastin-like polypeptides to the maturation of coacervate assemblies, observing their growth, stability and interaction behavior, and polypeptide alignment within matured globules. We conclude that maturation is driven by surface properties, leading to stabilization of the interface between the hydrophobic interior and aqueous solvent, potentially through structural motifs, and discuss implications for droplet interactions in fiber formation.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Lisa D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Muiznieks
authors.affiliation: Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Judith T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Cirulis
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van der Horst
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Dieter P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Reinhardt
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gijs J L
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Wuite
authors.affiliation: Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Régis
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pomès
authors.affiliation: Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. Electronic address: fwk@sickkids.ca.
authors.forename: Fred W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Keeley
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry; D004549:Elastin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D014333:Tropoelastin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids; D010455:Peptides; D011108:Polymers; D014333:Tropoelastin; D004549:Elastin
keywords: Colloid; Elastin; Interface; Phase separation; Self-assembly