1
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Miserez A, Yu J, Mohammadi P. Protein-Based Biological Materials: Molecular Design and Artificial Production. Chem Rev 2023; 123:2049-2111. [PMID: 36692900 PMCID: PMC9999432 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Polymeric materials produced from fossil fuels have been intimately linked to the development of industrial activities in the 20th century and, consequently, to the transformation of our way of living. While this has brought many benefits, the fabrication and disposal of these materials is bringing enormous sustainable challenges. Thus, materials that are produced in a more sustainable fashion and whose degradation products are harmless to the environment are urgently needed. Natural biopolymers─which can compete with and sometimes surpass the performance of synthetic polymers─provide a great source of inspiration. They are made of natural chemicals, under benign environmental conditions, and their degradation products are harmless. Before these materials can be synthetically replicated, it is essential to elucidate their chemical design and biofabrication. For protein-based materials, this means obtaining the complete sequences of the proteinaceous building blocks, a task that historically took decades of research. Thus, we start this review with a historical perspective on early efforts to obtain the primary sequences of load-bearing proteins, followed by the latest developments in sequencing and proteomic technologies that have greatly accelerated sequencing of extracellular proteins. Next, four main classes of protein materials are presented, namely fibrous materials, bioelastomers exhibiting high reversible deformability, hard bulk materials, and biological adhesives. In each class, we focus on the design at the primary and secondary structure levels and discuss their interplays with the mechanical response. We finally discuss earlier and the latest research to artificially produce protein-based materials using biotechnology and synthetic biology, including current developments by start-up companies to scale-up the production of proteinaceous materials in an economically viable manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Miserez
- Center for Sustainable Materials (SusMat), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore637553.,School of Biological Sciences, NTU, Singapore637551
| | - Jing Yu
- Center for Sustainable Materials (SusMat), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore637553.,Institute for Digital Molecular Analytics and Science (IDMxS), NTU, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore637553
| | - Pezhman Mohammadi
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Espoo, UusimaaFI-02044, Finland
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2
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Otis JB, Sharpe S. Sequence Context and Complex Hofmeister Salt Interactions Dictate Phase Separation Propensity of Resilin-like Polypeptides. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:5225-5238. [PMID: 36378745 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Resilin is an elastic material found in insects with exceptional durability, resilience, and extensibility, making it a promising biomaterial for tissue engineering. The monomeric precursor, pro-resilin, undergoes thermo-responsive self-assembly through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Understanding the molecular details of this assembly process is critical to developing complex biomaterials. The present study investigates the interplay between the solvent, sequence syntax, structure, and dynamics in promoting LLPS of resilin-like-polypeptides (RLPs) derived from domains 1 and 3 of Drosophila melanogaster pro-resilin. NMR, UV-vis, and microscopy data demonstrate that while kosmotropic salts and low pH promote LLPS, the effects of chaotropic salts with increasing pH are more complex. Subtle variations between the repeating amino acid motifs of resilin domain 1 and domain 3 lead to significantly different salt and pH dependence of LLPS, with domain 3 sequence motifs more strongly favoring phase separation under most conditions. These findings provide new insight into the molecular drivers of RLP phase separation and the complex roles of both RLP sequence and solution composition in fine-tuning assembly conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Brandt Otis
- Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay St, Toronto, ONM5G 0A4, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ONM5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Simon Sharpe
- Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay St, Toronto, ONM5G 0A4, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ONM5S 1A8, Canada
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3
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Pizzi A, Sori L, Pigliacelli C, Gautieri A, Andolina C, Bergamaschi G, Gori A, Panine P, Grande AM, Linder MB, Baldelli Bombelli F, Soncini M, Metrangolo P. Emergence of Elastic Properties in a Minimalist Resilin-Derived Heptapeptide upon Bromination. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2200807. [PMID: 35723172 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202200807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Bromination is herein exploited to promote the emergence of elastic behavior in a short peptide-SDSYGAP-derived from resilin, a rubber-like protein exerting its role in the jumping and flight systems of insects. Elastic and resilient hydrogels are obtained, which also show self-healing behavior, thanks to the promoted non-covalent interactions that limit deformations and contribute to the structural recovery of the peptide-based hydrogel. In particular, halogen bonds may stabilize the β-sheet organization working as non-covalent cross-links between nearby peptide strands. Importantly, the unmodified peptide (i.e., wild type) does not show such properties. Thus, SDSY(3,5-Br)GAP is a novel minimalist peptide elastomer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Pizzi
- Laboratory of Supramolecular and Bio-Nanomaterials (SupraBioNanoLab)Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Via Luigi Mancinelli 7, Milan, 20131, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Sori
- Laboratory of Supramolecular and Bio-Nanomaterials (SupraBioNanoLab)Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Via Luigi Mancinelli 7, Milan, 20131, Italy
| | - Claudia Pigliacelli
- Laboratory of Supramolecular and Bio-Nanomaterials (SupraBioNanoLab)Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Via Luigi Mancinelli 7, Milan, 20131, Italy
- Hyber Center of Excellence, Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, Puumiehenkuja2, Espoo, FI-00076, Finland
| | - Alfonso Gautieri
- Biomolecular Engineering Lab, Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, 20131, Italy
| | - Clara Andolina
- Laboratory of Supramolecular and Bio-Nanomaterials (SupraBioNanoLab)Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Via Luigi Mancinelli 7, Milan, 20131, Italy
- Hyber Center of Excellence, Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, Puumiehenkuja2, Espoo, FI-00076, Finland
| | - Greta Bergamaschi
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche - National Research Council of Italy (SCITEC-CNR), Milan, 20131, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gori
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche - National Research Council of Italy (SCITEC-CNR), Milan, 20131, Italy
| | - Pierre Panine
- Xenocs SAS, 1-3 Allée du Nanomètre, Grenoble, 38000, France
| | - Antonio Mattia Grande
- Department of Aerospace Science and Technology, Politecnico di Milano, via La Masa 34, Milano, 20156, Italy
| | - Markus B Linder
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16100, Aalto, FI-00076, Finland
| | - Francesca Baldelli Bombelli
- Laboratory of Supramolecular and Bio-Nanomaterials (SupraBioNanoLab)Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Via Luigi Mancinelli 7, Milan, 20131, Italy
| | - Monica Soncini
- Biomolecular Engineering Lab, Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, 20131, Italy
| | - Pierangelo Metrangolo
- Laboratory of Supramolecular and Bio-Nanomaterials (SupraBioNanoLab)Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Via Luigi Mancinelli 7, Milan, 20131, Italy
- Hyber Center of Excellence, Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, Puumiehenkuja2, Espoo, FI-00076, Finland
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4
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Tolvanen J, Nelo M, Hannu J, Juuti J, Jantunen H. All-Around Universal and Photoelastic Self-Healing Elastomer with High Toughness and Resilience. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2021; 8:e2103235. [PMID: 34664423 PMCID: PMC8693070 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202103235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Ultimately soft electronics seek affordable and high mechanical performance universal self-healing materials that can autonomously heal in harsh environments within short times scales. As of now, such features are not found in a single material. Herein, interpenetrated elastomer network with bimodal chain length distribution showing rapid autonomous healing in universal conditions (<7200 s) with high efficiency (up to 97.6 ± 4.8%) is reported. The bimodal elastomer displays strain-induced photoelastic effect and reinforcement which is responsible for its remarkable mechanical robustness (≈5.5 MPa stress at break and toughness ≈30 MJ m-3 ). The entropy-driven elasticity allows an unprecedented shape recovery efficiency (100%) even after fracturing and 100% resiliency up to its stretching limit (≈2000% strain). The elastomers can be mechanically conditioned leading to a state where they recover their shape extremely quickly after removal of stress (nearly order of magnitude faster than pristine elastomers). As a proof of concept, universal self-healing mechanochromic strain sensor is developed capable of operating in various environmental conditions and of changing its photonic band gap under mechanical stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarkko Tolvanen
- Microelectronics Research UnitFaculty of Information Technology and Electrical EngineeringUniversity of OuluP.O. Box 4500OuluFIN‐90014Finland
| | - Mikko Nelo
- Microelectronics Research UnitFaculty of Information Technology and Electrical EngineeringUniversity of OuluP.O. Box 4500OuluFIN‐90014Finland
| | - Jari Hannu
- Microelectronics Research UnitFaculty of Information Technology and Electrical EngineeringUniversity of OuluP.O. Box 4500OuluFIN‐90014Finland
| | - Jari Juuti
- Microelectronics Research UnitFaculty of Information Technology and Electrical EngineeringUniversity of OuluP.O. Box 4500OuluFIN‐90014Finland
| | - Heli Jantunen
- Microelectronics Research UnitFaculty of Information Technology and Electrical EngineeringUniversity of OuluP.O. Box 4500OuluFIN‐90014Finland
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Pepe A, Maio L, Bracalello A, Quintanilla-Sierra L, Arias FJ, Girotti A, Bochicchio B. Soft Hydrogel Inspired by Elastomeric Proteins. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021; 7:5028-5038. [PMID: 34676744 PMCID: PMC8579378 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Elastin polypeptides
based on -VPGVG- repeated motifs are widely
used in the production of biomaterials because they are stimuli-responsive
systems. On the other hand, glycine-rich sequences, mainly present
in tropoelastin terminal domains, are responsible for the elastin
self-assembly. In a previous study, we have recombinantly expressed
a chimeric polypeptide, named resilin, elastin, and collagen (REC),
inspired by glycine-rich motifs of elastin and containing resilin
and collagen sequences as well. Herein, a three-block polypeptide,
named (REC)3, was expressed starting from the previous
monomer gene by introducing key modifications in the sequence. The
choice was mandatory because the uneven distribution of the cross-linking
sites in the monomer precluded the hydrogel production. In this work,
the cross-linked polypeptide appeared as a soft hydrogel, as assessed
by rheology, and the linear un-cross-linked trimer self-aggregated
more rapidly than the REC monomer. The absence of cell-adhesive sequences
did not affect cell viability, while it was functional to the production
of a material presenting antiadhesive properties useful in the integration
of synthetic devices in the body and preventing the invasion of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonietta Pepe
- Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials, Department of Science, University of Basilicata, Via Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Lucia Maio
- Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials, Department of Science, University of Basilicata, Via Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy.,BIOFORGE CIBER-BBN, LUCIA Building, University of Valladolid, Paseo de Belen 19, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Angelo Bracalello
- Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials, Department of Science, University of Basilicata, Via Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Luis Quintanilla-Sierra
- BIOFORGE CIBER-BBN, LUCIA Building, University of Valladolid, Paseo de Belen 19, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Francisco Javier Arias
- Smart Devices for NanoMedicine Group, LUCIA Building, University of Valladolid, Paseo de Belen 19, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Alessandra Girotti
- BIOFORGE CIBER-BBN, LUCIA Building, University of Valladolid, Paseo de Belen 19, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Brigida Bochicchio
- Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials, Department of Science, University of Basilicata, Via Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
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6
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Chemical syntheses of bioinspired and biomimetic polymers toward biobased materials. Nat Rev Chem 2021; 5:753-772. [DOI: 10.1038/s41570-021-00325-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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7
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Chang MP, Huang W, Mai DJ. Monomer‐scale design of functional protein polymers using consensus repeat sequences. JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pol.20210506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marina P. Chang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering Stanford University Stanford California USA
| | - Winnie Huang
- Department of Chemical Engineering Stanford University Stanford California USA
| | - Danielle J. Mai
- Department of Chemical Engineering Stanford University Stanford California USA
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8
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Abstract
Resilin, an insect structural protein, exhibits rubberlike elasticity characterized by low stiffness, high extensibility, efficient energy storage, exceptional resilience, and fatigue lifetime. The outstanding mechanical properties of native resilin have motivated recent research about resilin-like biomaterials for a wide range of applications. The systematic understanding of the resilin structure provides theoretical guidance for its applications. In this chapter, we systematically introduce its special structure, providing useful information for the structure and elastic mechanism of native resilin protein.
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9
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Balu R, Dutta NK, Dutta AK, Choudhury NR. Resilin-mimetics as a smart biomaterial platform for biomedical applications. Nat Commun 2021; 12:149. [PMID: 33420053 PMCID: PMC7794388 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20375-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins have dramatically changed the structure-function paradigm of proteins in the 21st century. Resilin is a native elastic insect protein, which features intrinsically disordered structure, unusual multi-stimuli responsiveness and outstanding resilience. Advances in computational techniques, polypeptide synthesis methods and modular protein engineering routines have led to the development of novel resilin-like polypeptides (RLPs) including modular RLPs, expanding their applications in tissue engineering, drug delivery, bioimaging, biosensors, catalysis and bioelectronics. However, how the responsive behaviour of RLPs is encoded in the amino acid sequence level remains elusive. This review summarises the milestones of RLPs, and discusses the development of modular RLP-based biomaterials, their current applications, challenges and future perspectives. A perspective of future research is that sequence and responsiveness profiling of RLPs can provide a new platform for the design and development of new modular RLP-based biomaterials with programmable structure, properties and functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajkamal Balu
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - Naba K Dutta
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia.
| | - Ankit K Dutta
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Namita Roy Choudhury
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia.
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10
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Bracalello A, Secchi V, Mastrantonio R, Pepe A, Persichini T, Iucci G, Bochicchio B, Battocchio C. Fibrillar Self-Assembly of a Chimeric Elastin-Resilin Inspired Engineered Polypeptide. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2019; 9:E1613. [PMID: 31739482 PMCID: PMC6915571 DOI: 10.3390/nano9111613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
In the field of tissue engineering, recombinant protein-based biomaterials made up of block polypeptides with tunable properties arising from the functionalities of the individual domains are appealing candidates for the construction of medical devices. In this work, we focused our attention on the preparation and structural characterization of nanofibers from a chimeric-polypeptide-containing resilin and elastin domain, designed on purpose to enhance its cell-binding ability by introducing a specific fibronectin-derived Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence. The polypeptide ability to self-assemble was investigated. The molecular and supramolecular structure was characterized by Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), circular dichroism, state-of-the-art synchrotron radiation-induced techniques X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS). The attained complementary results allow us to assess as H-bonds influence the morphology of the aggregates obtained after the self-assembling of the chimeric polypeptide. Finally, a preliminary investigation of the potential cytotoxicity of the polypeptide was performed by culturing human fetal foreskin fibroblast (HFFF2) for its use as biomedical device.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Bracalello
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via Ateneo Lucano, 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy; (A.B.); (A.P.)
| | - Valeria Secchi
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Via della Vasca Navale, 79, 00146 Rome, Italy; (R.M.); (T.P.); (G.I.)
| | - Roberta Mastrantonio
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Via della Vasca Navale, 79, 00146 Rome, Italy; (R.M.); (T.P.); (G.I.)
| | - Antonietta Pepe
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via Ateneo Lucano, 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy; (A.B.); (A.P.)
| | - Tiziana Persichini
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Via della Vasca Navale, 79, 00146 Rome, Italy; (R.M.); (T.P.); (G.I.)
| | - Giovanna Iucci
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Via della Vasca Navale, 79, 00146 Rome, Italy; (R.M.); (T.P.); (G.I.)
| | - Brigida Bochicchio
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via Ateneo Lucano, 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy; (A.B.); (A.P.)
| | - Chiara Battocchio
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Via della Vasca Navale, 79, 00146 Rome, Italy; (R.M.); (T.P.); (G.I.)
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11
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Cohen N, Eisenbach CD. A microscopically motivated model for the swelling-induced drastic softening of hydrogen-bond dominated biopolymer networks. Acta Biomater 2019; 96:303-309. [PMID: 31319201 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2019.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The penetration of water into rubber-like protein networks such as cross-linked resilin, which is found in insects, can lead to changes in stiffness that range over several orders of magnitude. This softening effect cannot be explained by the volumetric changes associated with pure swelling/deswelling used to describe networks with covalent bonds. Rather, this property stems from the reversible swelling-induced breaking of hydrogen cross-linking bonds that connect the chains in the network. This work presents a model for the swelling and the mechanical response of hydrogen-bond dominated biopolymer networks. It is shown that the penetration of water molecules into the network leads to the breaking of non-covalent cross-linking sites. In turn, the network experiences a reduction in the effective chain-density, an increase in entropy, and a consequent decrease in free energy, thus explaining the dramatic softening. Additionally, the breaking of hydrogen bonds alters the micro-structure and changes the quantitative elastic behavior of the network. The proposed model is found to be in excellent agreement with several experimental findings. The merit of the work is twofold in that it (1) accounts for the number and the strength of non-covalent cross-linking bonds, thus explaining the drastic reduction in stiffness upon water uptake, and (2) provides a method to characterize the micro-structural evolution of hydrogen-bond dominated networks. Consequently, the model can be used as a micro-structural design-guide to program the response of synthetic polymers. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Hydrogen-bond dominated biopolymer networks are found in insects and have a unique structure that allows a dramatic reduction of several orders of magnitude in stiffness upon hydration. Understanding the micro-structure of such networks is key in the fabrication of new biomimetic polymers with tunable mechanical properties. This work introduces a microscopically motivated model that explains the dramatic reduction in stiffness and quantifies the influence of key micro-structural quantities on the overall response. The model is validated through several experimental findings. The insights from this work motivate further attempts at the fabrication of new biomimetic polymers and serve as a micro-structural design guide that enables the programming of the elastic swelling-induced response.
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12
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Pena-Francesch A, Demirel MC. Squid-Inspired Tandem Repeat Proteins: Functional Fibers and Films. Front Chem 2019; 7:69. [PMID: 30847338 PMCID: PMC6393770 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2019.00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Production of repetitive polypeptides that comprise one or more tandem copies of a single unit with distinct amorphous and ordered regions have been an interest for the last couple of decades. Their molecular structure provides a rich architecture that can micro-phase-separate to form periodic nanostructures (e.g., lamellar and cylindrical repeating phases) with enhanced physicochemical properties via directed or natural evolution that often exceed those of conventional synthetic polymers. Here, we review programmable design, structure, and properties of functional fibers and films from squid-inspired tandem repeat proteins, with applications in soft photonics and advanced textiles among others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdon Pena-Francesch
- Center for Research on Advanced Fiber Technologies, Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Melik C. Demirel
- Center for Research on Advanced Fiber Technologies, Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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13
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Li L, Stiadle JM, Levendoski EE, Lau HK, Thibeault SL, Kiick KL. Biocompatibility of injectable resilin-based hydrogels. J Biomed Mater Res A 2018; 106:2229-2242. [PMID: 29611890 PMCID: PMC6030450 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.36418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Revised: 01/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Vocal folds are connective tissues housed in the larynx, which can be subjected to various injuries and traumatic stimuli that lead to aberrant tissue structural alterations and fibrotic-induced biomechanical stiffening observed in patients with voice disorders. Much effort has been devoted to generate soft biomaterials that are injectable directly to sites of injury. To date, materials applied toward these applications have been largely focused on natural extracellular matrix-derived materials such as collagen, fibrin or hyaluronic acid; these approaches have suffered from the fact that materials are not sufficiently robust mechanically nor offer sufficient flexibility to modulate material properties for targeted injection. We have recently developed multiple resilin-inspired elastomeric hydrogels that possess similar mechanical properties as those reported for vocal fold tissues, and that also show promising in vitro cytocompatibility and in vivo biocompatibility. Here we report studies that test the delivery of resilin-based hydrogels through injection to the subcutaneous tissue in a wild-type mice model; histological and genetic expression outcomes were monitored. The rapid kinetics of crosslinking enabled facile injection and ensured the rapid transition of the viscous resilin precursor solution to a solid-like hydrogel in the subcutaneous space in vivo; the materials exhibited storage shear moduli in the range of 1000-2000 Pa when characterized through oscillatory rheology. Histological staining and gene expression profiles suggested minimal inflammatory profiles three weeks after injection, thereby demonstrating the potential suitability for site-specific in vivo injection of these elastomeric materials. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 2229-2242, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linqing Li
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Jeanna M. Stiadle
- Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 5136 WIMR, 1111 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
| | - Elizabeth E. Levendoski
- Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 5136 WIMR, 1111 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
| | - Hang K. Lau
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Susan L. Thibeault
- Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 5136 WIMR, 1111 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
| | - Kristi L. Kiick
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute, 15 Innovation Way, Newark, DE, 19711, USA
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14
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Fang W, Nonappa, Vitikainen M, Mohammadi P, Koskela S, Soikkeli M, Westerholm-Parvinen A, Landowski CP, Penttilä M, Linder MB, Laaksonen P. Coacervation of resilin fusion proteins containing terminal functionalities. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2018; 171:590-596. [PMID: 30098537 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2018.07.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase transition known as coacervation of resilin-like-peptide fusion proteins containing different terminal domains were investigated. Two different modular proteins were designed and produced and their behavior were compared to a resilin-like-peptide without terminal domains. The size of the particle-like coacervates was modulated by the protein concentration, pH and temperature. The morphology and three-dimensional (3D) structural details of the coacervate particles were investigated by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) and tomography (cryo-ET) reconstruction. Selective adhesion of the coacervates on cellulose and graphene surfaces was demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwen Fang
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, Espoo, FI-00076, AALTO, Finland
| | - Nonappa
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, Espoo, FI-00076, AALTO, Finland; Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, Espoo, FI-00076, AALTO, Finland
| | - Marika Vitikainen
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Espoo, FI-02044, VTT, Finland
| | - Pezhman Mohammadi
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, Espoo, FI-00076, AALTO, Finland
| | - Salla Koskela
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Espoo, FI-02044, VTT, Finland
| | - Miika Soikkeli
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Espoo, FI-02044, VTT, Finland
| | | | | | - Merja Penttilä
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, Espoo, FI-00076, AALTO, Finland; VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Espoo, FI-02044, VTT, Finland
| | - Markus B Linder
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, Espoo, FI-00076, AALTO, Finland
| | - Päivi Laaksonen
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, Espoo, FI-00076, AALTO, Finland.
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15
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Rattan S, Li L, Lau HK, Crosby AJ, Kiick KL. Micromechanical characterization of soft, biopolymeric hydrogels: stiffness, resilience, and failure. SOFT MATTER 2018; 14:3478-3489. [PMID: 29700541 DOI: 10.1039/c8sm00501j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Detailed understanding of the local structure-property relationships in soft biopolymeric hydrogels can be instrumental for applications in regenerative tissue engineering. Resilin-like polypeptide (RLP) hydrogels have been previously demonstrated as useful biomaterials with a unique combination of low elastic moduli, excellent resilience, and cell-adhesive properties. However, comprehensive mechanical characterization of RLP hydrogels under both low-strain and high-strain conditions has not yet been conducted, despite the unique information such measurements can provide about the local structure and macromolecular behavior underpinning mechanical properties. In this study, mechanical properties (elastic modulus, resilience, and fracture initiation toughness) of equilibrium swollen resilin-based hydrogels were characterized via oscillatory shear rheology, small-strain microindentation, and large-strain puncture tests as a function of polypeptide concentration. These methods allowed characterization, for the first time, of the resilience and failure in hydrogels with low polypeptide concentrations (<20 wt%), as the employed methods obviate the handling difficulties inherent in the characterization of such soft materials via standard mechanical techniques, allowing characterization without any special sample preparation and requiring minimal volumes (as low as 50 μL). Elastic moduli measured from small-strain microindentation showed good correlation with elastic storage moduli obtained from oscillatory shear rheology at a comparable applied strain rate, and evaluation of multiple loading-unloading cycles revealed decreased resilience values at lower hydrogel concentrations. In addition, large-strain indentation-to-failure (or puncture) tests were performed to measure large-strain mechanical response and fracture toughness on length scales similar to biological cells (∼10-50 μm) at various polypeptide concentrations, indicating very high fracture initiation toughness for high-concentration hydrogels. Our results establish the utility of employing microscale mechanical methods for the characterization of the local mechanical properties of biopolymeric hydrogels of low concentrations (<20 wt%), and show how the combination of small and large-strain measurements can provide unique insight into structure-property relationships for biopolymeric elastomers. Overall, this study provides new insight into the effects on local mechanical properties of polypeptide concentration near the overlap polymer concentration c* for resilin-based hydrogels, confirming their unique elastomeric features for applications in regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shruti Rattan
- Polymer Science and Engineering Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 120 Governors Drive, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
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16
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Yazawa K, Numata K, Norma-Rashid Y. Morphological and mechanical properties of flexible resilin joints on damselfly wings (Rhinocypha spp.). PLoS One 2018. [PMID: 29513694 PMCID: PMC5841740 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Resilin functions as an elastic spring that demonstrates extraordinary extensibility and elasticity. Here we use combined techniques, laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to illuminate the structure and study the function of wing flexibility in damselflies, focusing on the genus Rhinocypha. Morphological studies using LSCM and SEM revealed that resilin patches and cuticular spikes were widespread along the longitudinal veins on both dorsal and ventral wing surfaces. Nanoindentation was performed by using atomic force microscopy (AFM), where the wing samples were divided into three sections (membrane of the wing, mobile and immobile joints). The resulting topographic images revealed the presence of various sizes of nanostructures for all sample sections. The elasticity range values were: membrane (0.04 to 0.16 GPa), mobile joint (1.1 to 2.0 GPa) and immobile joint (1.8 to 6.0 GPa). The elastomeric and glycine-rich biopolymer, resilin was shown to be an important protein responsible for the elasticity and wing flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenjiro Yazawa
- Enzyme Research Team, Biomass Engineering Research Division, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Enzyme Research Team, Biomass Engineering Research Division, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan
| | - Y Norma-Rashid
- Institute of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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17
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Huang SC, Qian ZG, Dan AH, Hu X, Zhou ML, Xia XX. Rational Design and Hierarchical Assembly of a Genetically Engineered Resilin–Silk Copolymer Results in Stiff Hydrogels. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2017; 3:1576-1585. [DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.7b00353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Chen Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Gang Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ao-Huan Dan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ming-Liang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Xia Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People’s Republic of China
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18
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Jung Yang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Angela L. Holmberg
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Bradley D. Olsen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
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19
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Partlow BP, Applegate MB, Omenetto FG, Kaplan DL. Dityrosine Cross-Linking in Designing Biomaterials. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2016; 2:2108-2121. [DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin P. Partlow
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, 4 Colby Street, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Matthew B. Applegate
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, 4 Colby Street, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Fiorenzo G. Omenetto
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, 4 Colby Street, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - David L. Kaplan
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, 4 Colby Street, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
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20
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Muiznieks LD, Keeley FW. Biomechanical Design of Elastic Protein Biomaterials: A Balance of Protein Structure and Conformational Disorder. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2016; 3:661-679. [DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa D. Muiznieks
- Molecular
Structure and Function Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 0A4
| | - Fred W. Keeley
- Molecular
Structure and Function Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 0A4
- Department
of Biochemistry and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, 1 King’s College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A8
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21
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Bochicchio B, Bracalello A, Pepe A. Characterization of a Crosslinked Elastomeric-Protein Inspired Polypeptide. Chirality 2016; 28:606-11. [PMID: 27403636 DOI: 10.1002/chir.22619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Revised: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Materials inspired by natural proteins have a great appeal in tissue engineering for their biocompatibility and similarity to extracellular matrix (ECM). Chimeric polypeptides inspired by elastomeric proteins such as silk, elastin, and collagen are of outstanding interest in the field. A recombinant polypeptide constituted of three different blocks, each of them having sequences derived from elastin, resilin, and collagen proteins, was demonstrated to be a good candidate as biomaterial for its self-assembling characteristics and biocompatibility. Herein, taking advantage of the primary amine functionalities present in the linear polypeptide, we crosslinked it with 1,6-hexamethylene-diisocyanate (HMDI). The characterization of the obtained polypeptide was realized by CD spectroscopy, AFM, and SEM microscopies. The obtained results, although not conclusive, demonstrate that the crosslinked polypeptide gave rise to porous networks, thin nanowires, and films not observable for the linear polypeptide. Chirality 28:606-611, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigida Bochicchio
- Laboratory of Protein-Inspired Materials, Department of Science, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Angelo Bracalello
- Laboratory of Protein-Inspired Materials, Department of Science, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Antonietta Pepe
- Laboratory of Protein-Inspired Materials, Department of Science, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
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22
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Girotti A, Orbanic D, Ibáñez-Fonseca A, Gonzalez-Obeso C, Rodríguez-Cabello JC. Recombinant Technology in the Development of Materials and Systems for Soft-Tissue Repair. Adv Healthc Mater 2015; 4:2423-55. [PMID: 26172311 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201500152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Revised: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The field of biomedicine is constantly investing significant research efforts in order to gain a more in-depth understanding of the mechanisms that govern the function of body compartments and to develop creative solutions for the repair and regeneration of damaged tissues. The main overall goal is to develop relatively simple systems that are able to mimic naturally occurring constructs and can therefore be used in regenerative medicine. Recombinant technology, which is widely used to obtain new tailored synthetic genes that express polymeric protein-based structures, now offers a broad range of advantages for that purpose by permitting the tuning of biological and mechanical properties depending on the intended application while simultaneously ensuring adequate biocompatibility and biodegradability of the scaffold formed by the polymers. This Progress Report is focused on recombinant protein-based materials that resemble naturally occurring proteins of interest for use in soft tissue repair. An overview of recombinant biomaterials derived from elastin, silk, collagen and resilin is given, along with a description of their characteristics and suggested applications. Current endeavors in this field are continuously providing more-improved materials in comparison with conventional ones. As such, a great effort is being made to put these materials through clinical trials in order to favor their future use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Girotti
- BIOFORGE (Group for Advanced Materials and Nanobiotechnology); CIBER-BBN; University of Valladolid, Edificio LUCIA; Paseo de Belén, 19 47011 Valladolid Spain
| | - Doriana Orbanic
- BIOFORGE (Group for Advanced Materials and Nanobiotechnology); CIBER-BBN; University of Valladolid, Edificio LUCIA; Paseo de Belén, 19 47011 Valladolid Spain
| | - Arturo Ibáñez-Fonseca
- BIOFORGE (Group for Advanced Materials and Nanobiotechnology); CIBER-BBN; University of Valladolid, Edificio LUCIA; Paseo de Belén, 19 47011 Valladolid Spain
| | - Constancio Gonzalez-Obeso
- BIOFORGE (Group for Advanced Materials and Nanobiotechnology); CIBER-BBN; University of Valladolid, Edificio LUCIA; Paseo de Belén, 19 47011 Valladolid Spain
| | - José Carlos Rodríguez-Cabello
- BIOFORGE (Group for Advanced Materials and Nanobiotechnology); CIBER-BBN; University of Valladolid, Edificio LUCIA; Paseo de Belén, 19 47011 Valladolid Spain
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23
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Whittaker JL, Dutta NK, Knott R, McPhee G, Voelcker NH, Elvin C, Hill A, Choudhury NR. Tunable Thermoresponsiveness of Resilin via Coassembly with Rigid Biopolymers. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2015; 31:8882-8891. [PMID: 26177160 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.5b01014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The ability to tune the thermoresponsiveness of recombinant resilin protein, Rec1-resilin, through a facile coassembly system was investigated in this study. The effects of change in conformation and morphology with time and the responsive behavior of Rec1-resilin in solution were studied in response to the addition of a rigid model polypeptide (poly-l-proline) or a hydrophobic rigid protein (Bombyx mori silk fibroin). It was observed that by inducing more ordered conformations and increasing the hydrophobicity the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the system was tuned to lower values. Time and temperature were found to be critical parameters in controlling the coassembly behavior of Rec1-resilin in both the model polypeptide and more complex protein systems. Such unique properties are useful for a wide range of applications, including drug delivery and soft tissue engineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin L Whittaker
- †Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Boulevard, Adelaide, South Australia 5095, Australia
| | - Naba K Dutta
- †Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Boulevard, Adelaide, South Australia 5095, Australia
| | - Robert Knott
- ‡Bragg Institute, ANSTO, Lucas Heights, New South Wales 2234, Australia
| | - Gordon McPhee
- §Mawson Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Boulevard, Adelaide, South Australia 5095, Australia
| | - Nicolas H Voelcker
- §Mawson Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Boulevard, Adelaide, South Australia 5095, Australia
| | - Chris Elvin
- ∥CSIRO Agriculture, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, 306 Carmody Road, St. Lucia, Queensland 4067, Australia
| | - Anita Hill
- ⊥CSIRO Manufacturing, Bayview Avenue, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
| | - Namita Roy Choudhury
- †Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Boulevard, Adelaide, South Australia 5095, Australia
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24
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Balu R, Knott R, Cowieson NP, Elvin CM, Hill AJ, Choudhury NR, Dutta NK. Structural ensembles reveal intrinsic disorder for the multi-stimuli responsive bio-mimetic protein Rec1-resilin. Sci Rep 2015; 5:10896. [PMID: 26042819 PMCID: PMC4455251 DOI: 10.1038/srep10896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Rec1-resilin is the first recombinant resilin-mimetic protein polymer, synthesized from exon-1 of the Drosophila melanogaster gene CG15920 that has demonstrated unusual multi-stimuli responsiveness in aqueous solution. Crosslinked hydrogels of Rec1-resilin have also displayed remarkable mechanical properties including near-perfect rubber-like elasticity. The structural basis of these extraordinary properties is not clearly understood. Here we combine a computational and experimental investigation to examine structural ensembles of Rec1-resilin in aqueous solution. The structure of Rec1-resilin in aqueous solutions is investigated experimentally using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Both bench-top and synchrotron SAXS are employed to extract structural data sets of Rec1-resilin and to confirm their validity. Computational approaches have been applied to these experimental data sets in order to extract quantitative information about structural ensembles including radius of gyration, pair-distance distribution function, and the fractal dimension. The present work confirms that Rec1-resilin is an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) that displays equilibrium structural qualities between those of a structured globular protein and a denatured protein. The ensemble optimization method (EOM) analysis reveals a single conformational population with partial compactness. This work provides new insight into the structural ensembles of Rec1-resilin in solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajkamal Balu
- Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes campus, Mawson lakes, South Australia 5095, Australia
| | - Robert Knott
- ANSTO, Private Mail Bag, Kirrawee, New South Wales 2232, Australia
| | - Nathan P. Cowieson
- Centre for Synchrotron Science, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Christopher M. Elvin
- CSIRO Agriculture, Level 6, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, St Lucia, Queensland 4067, Australia
| | - Anita J. Hill
- CSIRO Manufacturing, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
| | - Namita R. Choudhury
- Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes campus, Mawson lakes, South Australia 5095, Australia
| | - Naba K. Dutta
- Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes campus, Mawson lakes, South Australia 5095, Australia
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25
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Balu R, Whittaker J, Dutta NK, Elvin CM, Choudhury NR. Multi-responsive biomaterials and nanobioconjugates from resilin-like protein polymers. J Mater Chem B 2014; 2:5936-5947. [PMID: 32261846 DOI: 10.1039/c4tb00726c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Nature, through evolution over millions of years, has perfected materials with amazing characteristics and awe-inspiring functionalities that exceed the performance of man-made synthetic materials. One such remarkable material is native resilin - an extracellular skeletal protein that plays a major role in the jumping, flying, and sound production mechanisms in many insects. It is one of the most resilient (energy efficient) elastomeric biomaterials known with a resilience of ∼97% and a fatigue life in excess of 300 million cycles. Recently, resilin-like polypeptides (RLPs) with exquisite control over the amino acid sequence (comprising repeat resilin motifs) and tuneable biological properties and/or functions have been generated by genetic engineering and cloning techniques. RLPs have been the subject of intensive investigation over a decade and are now recognized to be multi-functional and multi-stimuli responsive; including temperature (exhibiting both an upper and a lower critical solution temperature), pH, moisture, ion and photo-responsive with tuneable photo-physical properties. Such unusual multi-stimuli responsiveness has scarcely been offered and reported for either synthetic or natural biopolymers. Furthermore, the directed molecular self-assembly property of RLPs also exhibits promise as efficient templates for the synthesis and stabilization of metal nanoparticles. These developments and observations reveal the opportunities and new challenges for RLPs as novel materials for nanotechnology, nanobiotechnology and therapeutic applications. In this review, we discuss and highlight the design and synthesis of different RLPs, their unique molecular architecture, advanced responsive behaviour, and functionality of hydrogels, solid-liquid interfaces, nanoparticles and nanobioconjugates derived from RLPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajkamal Balu
- Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, Adelaide, South Australia 5095, Australia.
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26
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Silva R, Fabry B, Boccaccini AR. Fibrous protein-based hydrogels for cell encapsulation. Biomaterials 2014; 35:6727-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2014.04.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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27
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Resilin: protein-based elastomeric biomaterials. Acta Biomater 2014; 10:1601-11. [PMID: 23831198 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2013.06.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Revised: 06/14/2013] [Accepted: 06/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Resilin is an elastomeric protein found in insect cuticles and is remarkable for its high strain, low stiffness, and high resilience. Since the first resilin sequence was identified in Drosophilia melanogaster (fruit fly), researchers have utilized molecular cloning techniques to construct resilin-based proteins for a number of different applications. In addition to exhibiting the superior mechanical properties of resilin, resilin-based proteins are autofluorescent, display self-assembly properties, and undergo phase transitions in response to temperature. These properties have potential application in designing biosensors or environmentally responsive materials for use in tissue engineering or drug delivery. Furthermore, the capability of resilin-based biomaterials has been expanded by designing proteins that include both resilin-based sequences and bioactive domains such as cell-adhesion or matrix metalloproteinase sequences. These new materials maintain the superior mechanical and physical properties of resilin and also have the added benefit of controlling cell response. Because the mechanical and biological properties can be tuned through protein engineering, a wide range of properties can be achieved for tissue engineering applications including muscles, vocal folds, cardiovascular tissues, and cartilage.
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28
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Conformational and thermal characterization of a synthetic peptidic fragment inspired from human tropoelastin: Signature of the amyloid fibers. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 62:100-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.patbio.2014.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2013] [Accepted: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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29
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Whittaker J, Balu R, Choudhury NR, Dutta NK. Biomimetic protein-based elastomeric hydrogels for biomedical applications. POLYM INT 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/pi.4670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin Whittaker
- Ian Wark Research Institute, Mawson Lakes Campus; University of South Australia; Mawson Lakes Adelaide SA 5095 Australia
| | - Rajkamal Balu
- Ian Wark Research Institute, Mawson Lakes Campus; University of South Australia; Mawson Lakes Adelaide SA 5095 Australia
| | - Namita R. Choudhury
- Ian Wark Research Institute, Mawson Lakes Campus; University of South Australia; Mawson Lakes Adelaide SA 5095 Australia
| | - Naba K. Dutta
- Ian Wark Research Institute, Mawson Lakes Campus; University of South Australia; Mawson Lakes Adelaide SA 5095 Australia
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30
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Bochicchio B, Laurita A, Heinz A, Schmelzer CEH, Pepe A. Investigating the role of (2S,4R)-4-hydroxyproline in elastin model peptides. Biomacromolecules 2013; 14:4278-88. [PMID: 24127724 DOI: 10.1021/bm4011529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Post-translational modifications play a key role in defining the biological functions of proteins. Among them, the hydroxylation of proline producing the (2S,4R)-4-hydroxyproline (Hyp) is one of the most frequent modifications observed in vertebrates, being particularly abundant in the proteins of the extracellular matrix. In collagen, hydroxylation of proline plays a critical role, conferring the correct structure and mechanical strength to collagen fibers. In elastin, the exact role of this modification is not yet understood. Here we show that Hyp-containing elastin polypeptides have flexible molecular structures, analogously to proline-containing polypeptides. In turn, the self-assembly of the elastin peptides is significantly altered by the presence of Hyp, evidencing different supramolecular structures. Also the in vitro susceptibility to protease digestion is changed. These findings give a better insight into the elastic fiber formation and degradation processes in the extracellular matrix. Furthermore, our results could contribute in defining the subtle role of proline structural variants in the folding and self-assembly of elastin-inspired peptides, helping the rational design of elastin biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigida Bochicchio
- Department of Science, University of Basilicata , Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
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31
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Davies GJG, Knight DP, Vollrath F. Chitin in the silk gland ducts of the spider Nephila edulis and the silkworm Bombyx mori. PLoS One 2013; 8:e73225. [PMID: 24015298 PMCID: PMC3756001 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2013] [Accepted: 07/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we report the detection and localisation of chitin in the cuticle of the spinning ducts of both the spider Nephila edulis and the silkworm Bombyx mori. Our observations demonstrate that the duct walls of both animals contain chitin notwithstanding totally independent evolutionary pathways of the systems. We conclude that chitin may well be an essential component for the construction of spinning ducts; we further conclude that in both species chitin may indicate the evolutionary origin of the spinning ducts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwilym J. G. Davies
- Department of Zoology, The University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - David P. Knight
- Department of Zoology, The University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Fritz Vollrath
- Department of Zoology, The University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom
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32
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Abstract
Resilin, an insect structural protein, exhibits rubber-like elasticity characterized by low stiffness, high extensibility, efficient energy storage, and exceptional resilience and fatigue lifetime. The outstanding mechanical properties of natural resilin have motivated recent research in the engineering of resilin-like polypeptide-based biomaterials, with a wide range of applications including use as bio-rubbers, nanosprings, elements in biosensors, and tissue engineering scaffolds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linqing Li
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States; Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, 19716, United States; Delaware Biotechnology Institute, 15 Innovation Way, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
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33
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Bochicchio B, Pepe A, Delaunay F, Lorusso M, Baud S, Dauchez M. Amyloidogenesis of proteolytic fragments of human elastin. RSC Adv 2013. [DOI: 10.1039/c3ra41893f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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34
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Li L, Tong Z, Jia X, Kiick KL. Resilin-Like Polypeptide Hydrogels Engineered for Versatile Biological Functions. SOFT MATTER 2013; 9:665-673. [PMID: 23505396 PMCID: PMC3595062 DOI: 10.1039/c2sm26812d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Natural resilin, the rubber-like protein that exists in specialized compartments of most arthropods, possesses excellent mechanical properties such as low stiffness, high resilience and effective energy storage. Recombinantly-engineered resilin-like polypeptides (RLPs) that possess the favorable attributes of native resilin would be attractive candidates for the modular design of biomaterials for engineering mechanically active tissues. Based on our previous success in creating a novel RLP-based hydrogel and demonstrating useful mechanical and cell-adhesive properties, we have produced a suite of new RLP-based constructs, each equipped with 12 repeats of the putative resilin consensus sequence and a single, distinct biologically active domain. This approach allows independent control over the concentrations of cell-binding, MMP-sensitive, and polysaccharide-sequestration domains in hydrogels comprising mixtures of the various RLPs. The high purity, molecular weight and correct compositions of each new polypeptide have been confirmed via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS), and amino acid analysis. These RLP-based polypeptides exhibit largely random-coil conformation, both in solution and in the cross-linked hydrogels, as indicated by circular dichroic and infrared spectroscopic analyses. Hydrogels of various compositions, with a range of elastic moduli (1kPa to 25kPa) can be produced from these polypeptides, and the activity of the cell-binding and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) sensitive domains was confirmed. Tris(hydroxymethyl phosphine) cross-linked RLP hydrogels were able to maintain their mechanical integrity as well as the viability of encapsulated primary human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). These results validate the promising properties of these RLP-based elastomeric biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linqing Li
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware,19716,USA
| | - Zhixiang Tong
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware,19716,USA
| | - Xinqiao Jia
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware,19716,USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware,19716,USA
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute, 15 Innovation Way, Newark, Delaware,19711,USA
| | - Kristi L. Kiick
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware,19716,USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware,19716,USA
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute, 15 Innovation Way, Newark, Delaware,19711,USA
- 212 DuPont Hall, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA. Fax: +1-302-831- 4545; Tel: +1-302-831- 0201;
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35
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Sbrana F, Fotia C, Bracalello A, Baldini N, Marletta G, Ciapetti G, Bochicchio B, Vassalli M. Multiscale characterization of a chimeric biomimetic polypeptide for stem cell culture. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2012; 7:046007. [PMID: 22917962 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3182/7/4/046007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells have attracted great interest in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine because of their multipotentiality and relative ease of isolation from adult tissues. The medical application of this cellular system requires the inclusion in a growth and delivery scaffold that is crucial for the clinical effectiveness of the therapy. In particular, the ideal scaffolding material should have the needed porosity and mechanical strength to allow a good integration with the surrounding tissues, but it should also assure high biocompatibility and full resorbability. For such a purpose, protein-inspired biomaterials and, in particular, elastomeric-derived polypeptides are playing a major role, in which they are expected to fulfil many of the biological and mechanical requirements. A specific chimeric protein, designed starting from elastin, resilin and collagen sequences, was characterized over different length scales. Single-molecule mechanics, aggregation properties and compatibility with human mesenchymal stem cells were tested, showing that the engineered compound is a good candidate as a stem cell scaffold to be used in tissue engineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Sbrana
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Genova, Italy
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36
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McGann CL, Levenson EA, Kiick KL. Resilin-Based Hybrid Hydrogels for Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering. Macromolecules 2012; 214:203-213. [PMID: 23956463 DOI: 10.1002/macp.201200412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The outstanding elastomeric properties of natural resilin, an insect protein, have motivated the engineering of resilin-like polypeptides (RLPs) as a potential material for cardiovascular tissue engineering. The RLPs, which incorporate biofunctional domains for cell-matrix interactions, are cross-linked into RLP-PEG hybrid hydrogels via a Michael-type addition of cysteine residues on the RLP with vinyl sulfones of an end-functionalized multi-arm star PEG. Oscillatory rheology indicated the useful mechanical properties of these materials. Assessments of cell viability via con-focal microscopy clearly show the successful encapsulation of human aortic adventitial fibroblasts in the three-dimensional matrices and the adoption of a spread morphology following 7 days of culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L McGann
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
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37
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Renner JN, Cherry KM, Su RSC, Liu JC. Characterization of Resilin-Based Materials for Tissue Engineering Applications. Biomacromolecules 2012; 13:3678-85. [PMID: 23057410 DOI: 10.1021/bm301129b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julie N. Renner
- School
of Chemical Engineering and §Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
47907-2100, United States
| | - Kevin M. Cherry
- School
of Chemical Engineering and §Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
47907-2100, United States
| | - Renay S.-C. Su
- School
of Chemical Engineering and §Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
47907-2100, United States
| | - Julie C. Liu
- School
of Chemical Engineering and §Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
47907-2100, United States
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38
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Rauscher S, Pomès R. Structural disorder and protein elasticity. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2012; 725:159-83. [PMID: 22399324 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-0659-4_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
An emerging class of disordered proteins underlies the elasticity of many biological tissues. Elastomeric proteins are essential to the function of biological machinery as diverse as the human arterial wall, the capture spiral of spider webs and the jumping mechanism of fleas. In this chapter, we review what is known about the molecular basis and the functional role of structural disorder in protein elasticity. In general, the elastic recoil of proteins is due to a combination of internal energy and entropy. In rubber-like elastomeric proteins, the dominant driving force is the increased entropy of the relaxed state relative to the stretched state. Aggregates of these proteins are intrinsically disordered or fuzzy, with high polypeptide chain entropy. We focus our discussion on the sequence, structure and function of five rubber-like elastomeric proteins, elastin, resilin, spider silk, abductin and ColP. Although we group these disordered elastomers together into one class of proteins, they exhibit a broad range of sequence motifs, mechanical properties and biological functions. Understanding how sequence modulates both disorder and elasticity will help advance the rational design of elastic biomaterials such as artificial skin and vascular grafts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Rauscher
- Molecular Structure and Function, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
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39
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Bochicchio B, Pepe A. Role of polyproline II conformation in human tropoelastin structure. Chirality 2012; 23:694-702. [PMID: 22135799 DOI: 10.1002/chir.20979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the molecular studies on human tropoelastin domains accomplished by Tamburro and co-workers in the last decade. The used approach is the reductionist approach applied to human tropoelastin and is based on the observation that the tropoelastin gene exhibits a cassette-like organization, with a regular alternation of cross-linking and hydrophobic domains putatively responsible for the elasticity of the protein. The peculiar structure of human tropoelastin gene prompted us to study the isolated domains encoded by the exons of tropoelastin, with the perspective to get deep insights into the structural properties of the whole protein. At the molecular level, the results clearly evidence large flexibility of the polypeptide chains in the hydrophobic domains, which oscillate between rather extended and folded conformations. An important role was assigned to poly-proline II conformation considered as the hinge structure in the dynamic conformational equilibrium suggested for the hydrophobic domains. For the lysine-rich cross-linking domains, the structural studies exactly localized α-helix along the polypeptide sequence. Furthermore, at supramolecular level, these studies showed that several domains are able to self-assemble in two different aggregation patterns, the fibrous elastin-like structure for some proline-rich hydrophobic domains and the amyloid-like for some glycine-rich hydrophobic domains. Accordingly, the studies suggest that the reductionist approach was a valid tool for studying a complex protein, such as elastin, elucidating not only the structure but also the specific role played by its constituent domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigida Bochicchio
- Laboratory of Protein Chemistry, Department of Chemistry A. M. Tamburro, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy.
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40
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Song H, Parkinson J. Modelling the self-assembly of elastomeric proteins provides insights into the evolution of their domain architectures. PLoS Comput Biol 2012; 8:e1002406. [PMID: 22396636 PMCID: PMC3291537 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2011] [Accepted: 01/13/2012] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Elastomeric proteins have evolved independently multiple times through evolution. Produced as monomers, they self-assemble into polymeric structures that impart properties of stretch and recoil. They are composed of an alternating domain architecture of elastomeric domains interspersed with cross-linking elements. While the former provide the elasticity as well as help drive the assembly process, the latter serve to stabilise the polymer. Changes in the number and arrangement of the elastomeric and cross-linking regions have been shown to significantly impact their assembly and mechanical properties. However, to date, such studies are relatively limited. Here we present a theoretical study that examines the impact of domain architecture on polymer assembly and integrity. At the core of this study is a novel simulation environment that uses a model of diffusion limited aggregation to simulate the self-assembly of rod-like particles with alternating domain architectures. Applying the model to different domain architectures, we generate a variety of aggregates which are subsequently analysed by graph-theoretic metrics to predict their structural integrity. Our results show that the relative length and number of elastomeric and cross-linking domains can significantly impact the morphology and structural integrity of the resultant polymeric structure. For example, the most highly connected polymers were those constructed from asymmetric rods consisting of relatively large cross-linking elements interspersed with smaller elastomeric domains. In addition to providing insights into the evolution of elastomeric proteins, simulations such as those presented here may prove valuable for the tuneable design of new molecules that may be exploited as useful biomaterials. Elastomeric proteins such as elastin, resilin, abductin and wheat gluten represent a remarkable class of self-assembling proteins that provide properties of extensibility and elastic recoil. Although unrelated from an evolutionary viewpoint, these proteins nonetheless share a common sequence design involving highly repetitive elastomeric regions interspersed with elements capable of forming cross-links that help stabilize the formation of polymers. Attempts to explore the influence of domain architecture on the self-assembly and mechanical properties of elastomeric proteins at the molecular level have largely been hindered by a general lack of detailed structural information. Here we introduce a novel theoretical study based on random walks to simulate the self-assembly of elastomeric proteins. Applying this model, we explored the impact of different configurations of elastomeric and cross-linking elements on the stability of the resultant polymer. Through exploring the complex relationships between elastomeric domains, required to drive self-assembly, and cross-linking domains, required for structural integrity, results from these simulations provide insights into the molecular basis for the evolution of elastomeric proteins as well as help guide the rational design of novel elastomeric-peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyan Song
- Program in Molecular Structure and Function, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John Parkinson
- Program in Molecular Structure and Function, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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41
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Abstract
Elastomeric polypeptides are very interesting biopolymers and are characterized by rubber-like elasticity, large extensibility before rupture, reversible deformation without loss of energy, and high resilience upon stretching. Their useful properties have motivated their use in a wide variety of materials and biological applications. This chapter focuses on elastin and resilin - two elastomeric biopolymers - and the recombinant polypeptides derived from them (elastin-like polypeptides and resilin-like polypeptides). This chapter also discusses the applications of these recombinant polypeptides in the fields of purification, drug delivery, and tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark B. van Eldijk
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Christopher L. McGann
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Kristi L. Kiick
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Jan C.M. van Hest
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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42
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The effect of hydration on molecular chain mobility and the viscoelastic behavior of resilin-mimetic protein-based hydrogels. Biomaterials 2011; 32:8462-73. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2011.07.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2011] [Accepted: 07/20/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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43
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Bracalello A, Santopietro V, Vassalli M, Marletta G, Del Gaudio R, Bochicchio B, Pepe A. Design and production of a chimeric resilin-, elastin-, and collagen-like engineered polypeptide. Biomacromolecules 2011; 12:2957-65. [PMID: 21707089 DOI: 10.1021/bm2005388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Protein-inspired biomaterials have gained great interest as an alternative to synthetic polymers, in particular, for their potential use as biomedical devices. The potential inspiring models are mainly proteins able to confer mechanical properties to tissues and organs, such as elasticity (elastin, resilin, spider silk) and strength (collagen, silk). The proper combination of repetitive sequences, each of them derived from different proteins, represents a useful tool for obtaining biomaterials with tailored mechanical properties and biological functions. In this report we describe the design, the production, and the preliminary characterization of a chimeric polypeptide, based on sequences derived from the highly resilient proteins resilin and elastin and from collagen-like sequences. The results show that the obtained chimeric recombinant material exhibits promising self-assembling properties. Young's modulus of the fibers was determined by AFM image analysis and lies in the range of 0.1-3 MPa in agreement with the expectations for elastin-like and resilin-like materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Bracalello
- Department of Chemistry Antonio M. Tamburrro, University of Basilicata , 85100 Potenza, Italy
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44
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Abstract
Elastomeric proteins are characterized by their large extensibility before rupture, reversible deformation without loss of energy, and high resilience upon stretching. Motivated by their unique mechanical properties, there has been tremendous research in understanding and manipulating elastomeric polypeptides, with most work conducted on the elastins but more recent work on an expanded set of polypeptide elastomers. Facilitated by biosynthetic strategies, it has been possible to manipulate the physical properties, conformation, and mechanical properties of these materials. Detailed understanding of the roles and organization of the natural structural proteins has permitted the design of elastomeric materials with engineered properties, and has thus expanded the scope of applications from elucidation of the mechanisms of elasticity to the development of advanced drug delivery systems and tissue engineering substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kristi L. Kiick
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
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