title: Engineering structure and function using thermoresponsive biopolymers.
abstract: Self-assembly enables exquisite control at the smallest scale and generates order among macromolecular-building blocks that remain too small to be manipulated individually. Environmental cues, such as heating, can trigger the organization of these materials from individual molecules to multipartixcle assemblies with a variety of compositions and functions. Synthetic as well as biological polymers have been engineered for these purposes; however, biological strategies can offer unparalleled control over the composition of these macromolecular-building blocks. Biologic polymers are macromolecules composed of monomeric units that can be precisely tailored at the genetic level; furthermore, they can often utilize endogenous biodegradation pathways, which may enhance their potential clinical applications. DNA (nucleotides), polysaccharides (carbohydrates), and proteins (amino acids) have all been engineered to self-assemble into nanostructures in response to a change in temperature. This focus article reviews the growing body of literature exploring temperature-dependent nano-assembly of these biological macromolecules, summarizes some of their physical properties, and discusses future directions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Martha K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Pastuszka
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: J Andrew
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: MacKay
mesh_terms: D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA; D049329:Nanostructures; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D011134:Polysaccharides; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D011134:Polysaccharides; D004247:DNA