title: Self-assembling hydrogels crosslinked solely by receptor-ligand interactions: tunability, rationalization of physical properties, and 3D cell culture.
abstract: We report a novel, noncovalent hydrogel system crosslinked solely by receptor-ligand interactions between biotin and avidin. The simple hydrogel synthesis and functionalization together with the widespread use of biotinylated ligands in biosciences make this versatile system suitable for many applications. The gels possess a range of tunable physical properties, including stiffness, lifetime, and swelling. The erosion rates, unexpectedly fast compared to the kinetic parameters for biotin-avidin, are explored in terms of stretching tensions on the polymers, a concept well-known on the single-molecule level, but largely unexplored in supramolecular systems. As proof of utility, the gels were functionalized with different peptide sequences to control human mesenchymal stromal cell morphology in 3D culture.
authors.affiliation: B CUBE Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Arnoldstrasse 18, Dresden 01307 (Germany), Fax: (+49) 0351-463-40322.
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Mikhail V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Tsurkan
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chwalek
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bornhauser
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlierf
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: Yixin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D001360:Avidin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D001710:Biotin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D019921:Biotinylation / Q000379:methods; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry*; D008024:Ligands; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D055585:Physical Phenomena
chemical_list: D020100:Hydrogels; D008024:Ligands; D010455:Peptides; D001360:Avidin; D001710:Biotin
keywords: cell cultures; gels; polymers; self-assembly; supramolecular chemistry