Direct observation of amyloid nucleation under nanomechanical stretching

Silk-elastinlike protein-based hydrogels for drug delivery and embolization

Silk-Elastinlike Protein-Based Polymers (SELPs) can form thermoresponsive hydrogels that allow for the generation of in-situ drug delivery matrices. They are produced by recombinant techniques, enabling exact control of monomer sequence and polymer length. In aqueous solutions SELP strands form physical crosslinks as a function of temperature increase without the addition of crosslinking agents. Gelation kinetics, modulus of elasticity, pore size, drug release, biorecognition, and biodegradation of SELP hydrogels can be controlled by placement of amino acid residues at strategic locations in the polymer backbone. SELP hydrogels have been investigated for delivery of a variety of bioactive agents including small molecular weight drugs and fluorescent probes, oligomers of glycosaminoglycans, polymeric macromolecules, proteins, plasmid DNA, and viral gene delivery systems. In this review we provide a background for use of SELPs in matrix-mediated delivery and summarize recent investigations of SELP hydrogels for controlled delivery of bioactive agents as well as their use as liquid embolics.

Fibrous Scaffolds From Elastin-Based Materials

Current cutting-edge strategies in biomaterials science are focused on mimicking the design of natural systems which, over millions of years, have evolved to exhibit extraordinary properties. Based on this premise, one of the most challenging tasks is to imitate the natural extracellular matrix (ECM), due to its ubiquitous character and its crucial role in tissue integrity. The anisotropic fibrillar architecture of the ECM has been reported to have a significant influence on cell behaviour and function. A new paradigm that pivots around the idea of incorporating biomechanical and biomolecular cues into the design of biomaterials and systems for biomedical applications has emerged in recent years. Indeed, current trends in materials science address the development of innovative biomaterials that include the dynamics, biochemistry and structural features of the native ECM. In this context, one of the most actively studied biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications are nanofiber-based scaffolds. Herein we provide a broad overview of the current status, challenges, manufacturing methods and applications of nanofibers based on elastin-based materials. Starting from an introduction to elastin as an inspiring fibrous protein, as well as to the natural and synthetic elastin-based biomaterials employed to meet the challenge of developing ECM-mimicking nanofibrous-based scaffolds, this review will follow with a description of the leading strategies currently employed in nanofibrous systems production, which in the case of elastin-based materials are mainly focused on supramolecular self-assembly mechanisms and the use of advanced manufacturing technologies. Thus, we will explore the tendency of elastin-based materials to form intrinsic fibers, and the self-assembly mechanisms involved. We will describe the function and self-assembly mechanisms of silk-like motifs, antimicrobial peptides and leucine zippers when incorporated into the backbone of the elastin-based biomaterial. Advanced polymer-processing technologies, such as electrospinning and additive manufacturing, as well as their specific features, will be presented and reviewed for the specific case of elastin-based nanofiber manufacture. Finally, we will present our perspectives and outlook on the current challenges facing the development of nanofibrous ECM-mimicking scaffolds based on elastin and elastin-like biomaterials, as well as future trends in nanofabrication and applications.

Complex Morphogenesis by a Model Intrinsically Disordered Protein

The development of intricate and complex self-assembling structures in the micrometer range, such as biomorphs, is a major challenge in materials science. Although complex structures can be obtained from self-assembling materials as they segregate from solution, their size is usually in the nanometer range or requires accessory techniques. Previous studies with intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) have shown that the active interplay of different molecular interactions provides access to new and more complex nanostructures. As such, it is hypothesized that enriching the variety of intra- and intermolecular interactions in a model IDP will widen the landscape of sophisticated intermediate structures that can be accessed. In this study, a model silk-elastin-like recombinamer capable of interacting via three non-covalent interactions, namely hydrophobic, ion-pairing, and H-bonding is built. This model material is shown to self-assemble into complex stable micrometer-sized biomorphs. Variation of the block composition, pH, and temperature demonstrates the necessary interplay of all three interactions for the formation of such complex structures.

Out-of-Equilibrium Polymorph Selection in Nanoparticle Freezing

The ability to design synthesis processes that are out of equilibrium has opened the possibility of creating nanomaterials with remarkable physicochemical properties, choosing from a much richer palette of possible atomic architectures compared to equilibrium processes in extended systems. In this work, we employ atomistic simulations to demonstrate how to control polymorph selection via the cooling rate during nanoparticle freezing in the case of Ni₃Al, a material with a rich structural landscape. State-of-the-art free-energy calculations allow us to rationalize the complex nucleation process, discovering a switch between two kinetic pathways, yielding the equilibrium structure at room temperature and an alternative metastable one at higher temperature. Our findings address the key challenge in the synthesis of nanoalloys for technological applications, i.e., rationally exploiting the competition between kinetics and thermodynamics by designing a treatment history that forces the system into desirable metastable states.

Mechanisms of friction reduction of nanoscale sliding contacts achieved through ultrasonic excitation

Friction reduction is an important issue for proper functioning of nano-/micro-electromechanical systems (N-/MEMS) due to their large surface to volume ratios and the inability of traditional liquid lubricants to effectively lubricate sliding contacts. One efficient technique to achieve substantially lowered friction at the nanoscale, as well as superlubricity in some instances, was investigated with the coupling of ultrasonic actuation of the sliding contact in an atomic force microscope (AFM). Despite the successful application of ultrasonic AFM methods in achieving mechanical property measurements and nanoscale subsurface imaging of soft and hard materials, the mechanism of friction reduction in the microscopic contact and the influence of the ultrasonic parameters on friction reduction are still elusive. In this study, the effects of excitation amplitude, applied normal force, tip radius, and humidity on friction have been investigated in detail. Ultrasonic force microscopy (UFM) results are compared against those collected with conventional contact-AFM (C-AFM) and indicate that a reduction in the adhesive interaction between the tip and sample, as well as a reduction in the shear strength can explain the mechanisms of the friction reduction in UFM method. This study opens up a new door for the control of friction and wear, which is critical for the increased lifetime of AFM probes, N-/MEMS devices and would potentially bridge the gap between nanotribology and other fields, such as nanomachining, nanolithography and biomaterials imaging.

Force and time-dependent self-assembly, disruption and recovery of supramolecular peptide amphiphile nanofibers

Biological feedback mechanisms exert precise control over the initiation and termination of molecular self-assembly in response to environmental stimuli, while minimizing the formation and propagation of defects through self-repair processes. Peptide amphiphile (PA) molecules can self-assemble at physiological conditions to form supramolecular nanostructures that structurally and functionally resemble the nanofibrous proteins of the extracellular matrix, and their ability to reconfigure themselves in response to external stimuli is crucial for the design of intelligent biomaterials systems. Here, we investigated real-time self-assembly, deformation, and recovery of PA nanofibers in aqueous solution by using a force-stabilizing double-pass scanning atomic force microscopy imaging method to disrupt the self-assembled peptide nanofibers in a force-dependent manner. We demonstrate that nanofiber damage occurs at tip-sample interaction forces exceeding 1 nN, and the damaged fibers subsequently recover when the tip pressure is reduced. Nanofiber ends occasionally fail to reconnect following breakage and continue to grow as two individual nanofibers. Energy minimization calculations of nanofibers with increasing cross-sectional ellipticity (corresponding to varying levels of tip-induced fiber deformation) support our observations, with high-ellipticity nanofibers exhibiting lower stability compared to their non-deformed counterparts. Consequently, tip-mediated mechanical forces can provide an effective means of altering nanofiber integrity and visualizing the self-recovery of PA assemblies.

Unidirectional molecular assembly alignment on graphene enabled by nanomechanical symmetry breaking

Precise fabrication of molecular assemblies on a solid surface has long been of central interest in surface science. Their perfectly oriented growth only along a desired in-plane direction, however, remains a challenge, because of the thermodynamical equivalence of multiple axis directions on a solid-surface lattice. Here we demonstrate the successful fabrication of an in-plane, unidirectional molecular assembly on graphene. Our methodology relies on nanomechanical symmetry breaking effects under atomic force microscopy tip scanning, which has never been used in molecular alignment. Individual one-dimensional (1D) molecular assemblies were aligned along a selected symmetry axis of the graphene lattice under finely-tuned scanning conditions after removing initially-adsorbed molecules. Experimental statistics and computational simulations suggest that the anisotropic tip scanning locally breaks the directional equivalence of the graphene surface, which enables nucleation of the unidirectional 1D assemblies. Our findings will open new opportunities in the molecular alignment control on various atomically flat surfaces.

Silk nanofibril self-assembly versus electrospinning

Natural silk fibers represent one of the most advanced blueprints for (bio)polymer scientists, displaying highly optimized mechanical properties due to their hierarchical structures. Biotechnological production of silk proteins and implementation of advanced processing methods enabled harnessing the potential of these biopolymer not just based on the mechanical properties. In addition to fibers, diverse morphologies can be produced, such as nonwoven meshes, films, hydrogels, foams, capsules and particles. Among them, nanoscale fibrils and fibers are particularly interesting concerning medical and technical applications due to their biocompatibility, environmental and mechanical robustness as well as high surface-to-volume ratio. Therefore, we introduce here self-assembly of silk proteins into hierarchically organized structures such as supramolecular nanofibrils and fabricated materials based thereon. As an alternative to self-assembly, we also present electrospinning a technique to produce nanofibers and nanofibrous mats. Accordingly, we introduce a broad range of silk-based dopes, used in self-assembly and electrospinning: natural silk proteins originating from natural spinning glands, natural silk protein solutions reconstituted from fibers, engineered recombinant silk proteins designed from natural blueprints, genetic fusions of recombinant silk proteins with other structural or functional peptides and moieties, as well as hybrids of recombinant silk proteins chemically conjugated with nonproteinaceous biotic or abiotic molecules. We highlight the advantages but also point out drawbacks of each particular production route. The scope includes studies of the natural self-assembly mechanism during natural silk spinning, production of silk fibrils as new nanostructured non-native scaffolds allowing dynamic morphological switches, as well as studying potential applications. This article is categorized under:  Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Peptide-Based Structures  Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology  Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Protein and Virus-Based Structures.

Mapping the Broad Structural and Mechanical Properties of Amyloid Fibrils

Amyloids are fibrillar nanostructures of proteins that are assembled in several physiological processes in human cells (e.g., hormone storage) but also during the course of infectious (prion) and noninfectious (nonprion) diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob and Alzheimer's diseases, respectively. How the amyloid state, a state accessible to all proteins and peptides, can be exploited for functional purposes but also have detrimental effects remains to be determined. Here, we measure the nanomechanical properties of different amyloids and link them to features found in their structure models. Specifically, we use shape fluctuation analysis and sonication-induced scission in combination with full-atom molecular dynamics simulations to reveal that the amyloid fibrils of the mammalian prion protein PrP are mechanically unstable, most likely due to a very low hydrogen bond density in the fibril structure. Interestingly, amyloid fibrils formed by HET-s, a fungal protein that can confer functional prion behavior, have a much higher Young's modulus and tensile strength than those of PrP, i.e., they are much stiffer and stronger due to a tighter packing in the fibril structure. By contrast, amyloids of the proteins RIP1/RIP3 that have been shown to be of functional use in human cells are significantly stiffer than PrP fibrils but have comparable tensile strength. Our study demonstrates that amyloids are biomaterials with a broad range of nanomechanical properties, and we provide further support for the strong link between nanomechanics and β-sheet characteristics in the amyloid core.

How Do Gyrating Beads Accelerate Amyloid Fibrillization?

The chemical and physical mechanisms by which gyrating beads accelerate amyloid fibrillization in microtiter plate assays are unclear. Identifying these mechanisms will help optimize high-throughput screening assays for molecules and mutations that modulate aggregation and might explain why different research groups report different rates of aggregation for identical proteins. This article investigates how the rate of superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1) fibrillization is affected by 12 different beads with a wide range of hydrophobicity, mass, stiffness, and topology but identical diameter. All assays were performed on D90A apo-SOD1, which is a stable and wild-type-like variant of SOD1. The most significant and uniform correlation between any material property of each bead and that bead's effect on SOD1 fibrillization rate was with regard to bead mass. A linear correlation existed between bead mass and rate of fibril elongation (R2 = 0.7): heavier beads produced faster rates and shorter fibrils. Nucleation rates (lag time) also correlated with bead mass, but only for non-polymeric beads (i.e., glass, ceramic, metallic). The effect of bead mass on fibrillization correlated (R2 = 0.96) with variations in buoyant forces and contact forces (between bead and microplate well), and was not an artifact of residual momentum during intermittent gyration. Hydrophobic effects were observed, but only for polymeric beads: lag times correlated negatively with contact angle of water and degree of protein adhesion (surface adhesion and hydrophobic effects were negligible for non-polymeric beads). These results demonstrate that contact forces (alone) explain kinetic variation among non-polymeric beads, whereas surface hydrophobicity and contact forces explain kinetic variation among polymeric beads. This study also establishes conditions for high-throughput amyloid assays of SOD1 that enable the control over fibril morphologies and produce eightfold faster lag times and fourfold less stochasticity than in previous studies.

Mechanical force-induced polymerization and depolymerization of F-actin at water/solid interfaces

Actin molecules are among the three main cytoskeleton proteins of cells and undergo rapid cycling to regulate critical processes such as endocytosis, cytokinesis, cell polarity, and cell morphogenesis. Although extensive studies have been carried out on the dynamics as well as biological functions of actin polymerization and depolymerization both in vivo and in vitro, the molecular mechanisms by which cells sense and respond to mechanical signals are not fully understood. In particular, little attention has been paid to the effect of a physical force that is exerted directly on the actin cytoskeleton. In this paper, we have explored how the mechanical force affects the actin polymerization and depolymerization behaviors at water/solid interfaces using an atomic force microscope (AFM) operated in liquid. By raster scanning an AFM probe on a substrate surface with a certain load, it was found that actin monomers could polymerize into filaments without the help of actin related proteins (ARPs). Further study indicated that actin monomers were inclined to form filaments only under a small scanning load. The polymerized actin filaments would be depolymerized when the mechanical force was stronger. A possible mechanism has been suggested to explain the mechanical force induced actin polymerization.

Superhydrophobic Surfaces Boost Fibril Self-Assembly of Amyloid β Peptides

Amyloid β (Aβ) peptides are the main constituents of Alzheimer's amyloid plaques in the brain. Here we report how the unique microfluidic flows exerted by droplets sitting on superhydrophobic surfaces can influence the aggregation mechanisms of several Aβ fragments by boosting their fibril self-assembly. Aβ(25-35), Aβ(1-40), and Aβ(12-28) were dried both on flat hydrophilic surfaces (contact angle (CA) = 37.3°) and on nanostructured superhydrophobic ones (CA = 175.8°). By embedding nanoroughened surfaces on top of highly X-ray transparent Si3N4 membranes, it was possible to probe the solid residues by raster-scan synchrotron radiation X-ray microdiffraction (μXRD). As compared to residues obtained on flat Si3N4 membranes, a general enhancement of fibrillar material was detected for all Aβ fragments dried on superhydrophobic surfaces, with a particular emphasis on the shorter ones. Indeed, both Aβ(25-35) and Aβ(12-28) showed a marked crystalline cross-β phase with varying fiber textures. The homogeneous evaporation rate provided by these nanostructured supports, and the possibility to use transparent membranes, can open a wide range of in situ X-ray and spectroscopic characterizations of amyloidal peptides involved in neurodegenerative diseases and for the fabrication of amyloid-based nanodevices.

Mechanical Stress as the Common Denominator between Chronic Inflammation, Cancer, and Alzheimer's Disease

The pathogenesis of common diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cancer, are currently poorly understood. Inflammation is a common risk factor for cancer and AD. Recent data, provided by our group and from others, demonstrate that increased pressure and inflammation are synonymous. There is a continuous increase in pressure from inflammation to fibrosis and then cancer. This is in line with the numerous papers reporting high interstitial pressure in cancer. But most authors focus on the role of pressure in the lack of delivery of chemotherapy in the center of the tumor. Pressure may also be a key factor in carcinogenesis. Increased pressure is responsible for oncogene activation and cytokine secretion. Accumulation of mechanical stress plays a key role in the development of diseases of old age, such as cardiomyopathy, atherosclerosis, and osteoarthritis. Growing evidence suggest also a possible link between mechanical stress in the pathogenesis of AD. The aim of this review is to describe environmental and endogenous mechanical factors possibly playing a pivotal role in the mechanism of chronic inflammation, AD, and cancer.

High intrinsic mechanical flexibility of mouse prion nanofibrils revealed by measurements of axial and radial Young's moduli

Self-templated protein aggregation and intracerebral deposition of aggregates, sometimes in the form of amyloid fibrils, is a hallmark of mammalian prion diseases. What distinguishes amyloid fibrils formed by prions from those formed by other proteins is not clear. On the basis of previous studies on yeast prions that correlated high intrinsic fragmentation rates of fibrils with prion propagation efficiency, it has been hypothesized that the nanomechanical properties of prion amyloid such as strength and elastic modulus may be the distinguishing feature. Here, we reveal that fibrils formed by mammalian prions are relatively soft and clearly in a different class of rigidities when compared to nanofibrils formed by nonprions. We found that amyloid fibrils made of both wild-type and mutant mouse recombinant PrP(23-231) have remarkably low axial elastic moduli of 0.1-1.4 GPa. We demonstrate that even the proteinase K resistant core of these fibrils has similarly low intrinsic rigidities. Using a new mode of atomic force microscopy called AM-FM mode, we estimated the radial modulus of PrP fibrils at ∼0.6 GPa, consistent with the axial moduli derived by using an ensemble method. Our results have far-reaching implications for the understanding of protein-based infectivity and the design of amyloid biomaterials.