title: Micelles from HOOC-PnBA-b-PAA-C12H15Diblock Amphiphilic Polyelectrolytes as Protein Nanocarriers.
abstract: We investigate the potential of self-assembled nanostructures of the PnBA-b-PAA amphiphilic diblock polyelectrolyte as candidates for protein nanocarriers. Three PnBA-b-PAA copolymers with different molecular weights and PnBA/PAA weight ratios are tested. The system with the most well-defined core-shell micellar structure is chosen for complexation with lysozyme. Its solutions are found to contain well-defined core-shell micelles that are stable upon increase in solution salt content to physiological levels. Upon mixing with lysozyme we find that the protein globules accumulate preferably at the outer parts of the hydrated corona of the micelles. Increasing the protein concentration, intermicellar aggregation is enhanced in a controllable way. At high salt content the number of proteins per micelle is lower compared with the low salt content, which points to an interaction of predominantly electrostatic nature. While light scattering is very sensitive to complexation, small-angle neutron scattering is able to distinguish between the contributions from individual micelles and aggregates. This work demonstrates the use of scattering techniques to characterize protein-polymer interactions in multiple hierarchical levels.
authors.affiliation: Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation , 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, 11635 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Aristeidis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papagiannopoulos
authors.affiliation: Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation , 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, 11635 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meristoudi
authors.affiliation: Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation , 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, 11635 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Stergios
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pispas
authors.affiliation: Jülich Centre for Neutron Science JCNS Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Outstation at Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ) , 1 Lichtenbergstraße, 85747 Garching, Germany.
authors.forename: Aurel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Radulescu
mesh_terms: D000179:Acrylates / Q000737:chemistry*; D000409:Alanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D008823:Micelles; D009113:Muramidase / Q000737:chemistry; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D000071228:Polyelectrolytes / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012996:Solutions / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000179:Acrylates; D008823:Micelles; D000071228:Polyelectrolytes; D011108:Polymers; D011506:Proteins; D012996:Solutions; C498324:poly(n-butyl acrylate); C078798:3-(phenylamino)alanine; D009113:Muramidase; D000409:Alanine