title: Biomimetic polymers responsive to a biological signaling molecule: nitric oxide triggered reversible self-assembly of single macromolecular chains into nanoparticles.
abstract: Novel nitric oxide (NO) responsive monomers (NAPMA and APUEMA) containing o-phenylenediamine functional groups have been polymerized to form NO-responsive macromolecular chains as truly biomimetic polymers. Upon exposure to NO--a ubiquitous cellular signaling molecule--the NAPMA- and APUEMA-labeled thermoresponsive copolymers exhibited substantial changes in solubility, clearly characterized by tuneable LCST behavior, thereby inducing self-assembly into nanoparticulate structures. Moreover, the NO-triggered self-assembly process in combination with environmentally sensitive fluorescence dyes could be employed to detect and image endogenous NO.
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052 (Australia).
authors.forename: Jinming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Whittaker
authors.forename: Hien
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Duong
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Cyrille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boyer
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D032701:Biomimetics; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D058105:Polymerization; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011108:Polymers; D009569:Nitric Oxide
keywords: biomimetic polymers; fluorescent probes; nitric oxide; self-assembly; thermoresponsive polymers