1
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Patkar SS, Wang B, Mosquera AM, Kiick KL. Genetically Fusing Order-Promoting and Thermoresponsive Building Blocks to Design Hybrid Biomaterials. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202400582. [PMID: 38501912 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202400582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
The unique biophysical and biochemical properties of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and their recombinant derivatives, intrinsically disordered protein polymers (IDPPs) offer opportunities for producing multistimuli-responsive materials; their sequence-encoded disorder and tendency for phase separation facilitate the development of multifunctional materials. This review highlights the strategies for enhancing the structural diversity of elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) and resilin-like polypeptides (RLPs), and their self-assembled structures via genetic fusion to ordered motifs such as helical or beta sheet domains. In particular, this review describes approaches that harness the synergistic interplay between order-promoting and thermoresponsive building blocks to design hybrid biomaterials, resulting in well-structured, stimuli-responsive supramolecular materials ordered on the nanoscale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai S Patkar
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, 19716, United States
- Eli Lilly and Company, 450 Kendall Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, United States
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, 19716, United States
| | - Ana Maria Mosquera
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, 19716, United States
| | - Kristi L Kiick
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, 19716, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, 19716, United States
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2
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Gregorio NE, DeForest CA. PhoCoil: An Injectable and Photodegradable Single-component Recombinant Protein Hydrogel for Localized Therapeutic Cell Delivery. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.07.592971. [PMID: 38766128 PMCID: PMC11100756 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.07.592971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Hydrogel biomaterials offer great promise for 3D cell culture and therapeutic delivery. Despite many successes, challenges persist in that gels formed from natural proteins are only marginally tunable while those derived from synthetic polymers lack intrinsic bioinstructivity. Towards the creation of biomaterials with both excellent biocompatibility and customizability, recombinant protein-based hydrogels have emerged as molecularly defined and user-programmable platforms that mimic the proteinaceous nature of the extracellular matrix. Here, we introduce PhoCoil, a dynamically tunable recombinant hydrogel formed from a single protein component with unique multi-stimuli responsiveness. Physical crosslinking through coiled-coil interactions promotes rapid shear-thinning and self-healing behavior, rendering the gel injectable, while an included photodegradable motif affords on-demand network dissolution via visible light. PhoCoil gel photodegradation can be spatiotemporally and lithographically controlled in a dose-dependent manner, through complex tissue, and without harm to encapsulated cells. We anticipate that PhoCoil will enable new applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cole A. DeForest
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington
- Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington
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3
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Laakko T, Korkealaakso A, Yildirir BF, Batys P, Liljeström V, Hokkanen A, Nonappa, Penttilä M, Laukkanen A, Miserez A, Södergård C, Mohammadi P. Accelerated Engineering of ELP-Based Materials through Hybrid Biomimetic-De Novo Predictive Molecular Design. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2312299. [PMID: 38710202 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202312299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Efforts to engineer high-performance protein-based materials inspired by nature have mostly focused on altering naturally occurring sequences to confer the desired functionalities, whereas de novo design lags significantly behind and calls for unconventional innovative approaches. Here, using partially disordered elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) as initial building blocks this work shows that de novo engineering of protein materials can be accelerated through hybrid biomimetic design, which this work achieves by integrating computational modeling, deep neural network, and recombinant DNA technology. This generalizable approach involves incorporating a series of de novo-designed sequences with α-helical conformation and genetically encoding them into biologically inspired intrinsically disordered repeating motifs. The new ELP variants maintain structural conformation and showed tunable supramolecular self-assembly out of thermal equilibrium with phase behavior in vitro. This work illustrates the effective translation of the predicted molecular designs in structural and functional materials. The proposed methodology can be applied to a broad range of partially disordered biomacromolecules and potentially pave the way toward the discovery of novel structural proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timo Laakko
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., VTT, FI-02044, Finland
| | | | - Burcu Firatligil Yildirir
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Tampere University, Korkeakoulunkatu 6, Tampere, FI-33720, Finland
| | - Piotr Batys
- Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 8, Krakow, PL-30239, Poland
| | - Ville Liljeström
- Department of Applied Physics, School of Science, Aalto University, Aalto, FI-00076, Finland
| | - Ari Hokkanen
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., VTT, FI-02044, Finland
| | - Nonappa
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Tampere University, Korkeakoulunkatu 6, Tampere, FI-33720, Finland
| | - Merja Penttilä
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., VTT, FI-02044, Finland
| | - Anssi Laukkanen
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., VTT, FI-02044, Finland
| | - Ali Miserez
- Center for Sustainable Materials (SusMat), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, 637553, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, NTU, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Caj Södergård
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., VTT, FI-02044, Finland
| | - Pezhman Mohammadi
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., VTT, FI-02044, Finland
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4
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Zhou Z, Wang S, Feng T, Zhang P, Fan H, Zou J, Huang K. Nanoassembly-Mediated Exendin-4 Derivatives to Decrease Renal Retention. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:18757-18765. [PMID: 38708210 PMCID: PMC11064033 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c04644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
An Exendin-4 analogue that was conjugated with 68Ga exhibited an excellent diagnostic effect on insulinoma in clinical practice. On account of its low molecular weight and short hydration radius, 68Ga-Exendin-4 showed high accumulation in kidney tissues. Nanoparticle-mediated strategies have attracted much attention due to polyvalent properties and the size amplification effect. In this study, Exendin-4 derivatives of radionuclide nanodevices were developed and evaluated. The Exendin-4 derivatives consisting of a ternary block recombinant protein were purified by an inverse transition cycle (ITC) and allowed to self-assemble into a nanodevice under physiological conditions. Our results showed that the nanoassemblies of Exendin-4 derivatives formed homogeneous spherical nanoparticles, exhibited outstanding affinity for insulinoma cells, and could be deposited in insulinoma tissues in vivo. The nanoassembly-mediated Exendin-4 derivatives showed fivefold reduced renal retention and exhibited an outstanding tumor-suppression effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengwei Zhou
- Department
of Clinical Pharmacology Lab, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Changle Road 68, Nanjing 210006, P. R. China
- School
of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Tongjiaxiang 24, Nanjing 210009, P. R. China
| | - Shuai Wang
- Department
of Clinical Pharmacology Lab, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Changle Road 68, Nanjing 210006, P. R. China
- School
of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Tongjiaxiang 24, Nanjing 210009, P. R. China
| | - Tianling Feng
- Department
of Clinical Pharmacology Lab, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Changle Road 68, Nanjing 210006, P. R. China
- School
of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Tongjiaxiang 24, Nanjing 210009, P. R. China
| | - Pengjun Zhang
- Department
of Nuclear Medicine, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Changle Road 68, Nanjing 210006, P. R. China
| | - Hongwei Fan
- Department
of Clinical Pharmacology Lab, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Changle Road 68, Nanjing 210006, P. R. China
- School
of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Tongjiaxiang 24, Nanjing 210009, P. R. China
| | - Jianjun Zou
- Department
of Clinical Pharmacology Lab, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Changle Road 68, Nanjing 210006, P. R. China
- School
of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Tongjiaxiang 24, Nanjing 210009, P. R. China
| | - Kaizong Huang
- Department
of Clinical Pharmacology Lab, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Changle Road 68, Nanjing 210006, P. R. China
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5
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Dar F, Cohen SR, Mitrea DM, Phillips AH, Nagy G, Leite WC, Stanley CB, Choi JM, Kriwacki RW, Pappu RV. Biomolecular condensates form spatially inhomogeneous network fluids. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3413. [PMID: 38649740 PMCID: PMC11035652 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47602-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The functions of biomolecular condensates are thought to be influenced by their material properties, and these will be determined by the internal organization of molecules within condensates. However, structural characterizations of condensates are challenging, and rarely reported. Here, we deploy a combination of small angle neutron scattering, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, and coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to provide structural descriptions of model condensates that are formed by macromolecules from nucleolar granular components (GCs). We show that these minimal facsimiles of GCs form condensates that are network fluids featuring spatial inhomogeneities across different length scales that reflect the contributions of distinct protein and peptide domains. The network-like inhomogeneous organization is characterized by a coexistence of liquid- and gas-like macromolecular densities that engenders bimodality of internal molecular dynamics. These insights suggest that condensates formed by multivalent proteins share features with network fluids formed by systems such as patchy or hairy colloids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Furqan Dar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Samuel R Cohen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Diana M Mitrea
- Dewpoint Therapeutics Inc., 451 D Street, Boston, MA, 02210, USA
| | - Aaron H Phillips
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Gergely Nagy
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Wellington C Leite
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Christopher B Stanley
- Computational Sciences and Engineering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
| | - Jeong-Mo Choi
- Department of Chemistry and Chemistry Institute for Functional Materials, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea.
| | - Richard W Kriwacki
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA.
| | - Rohit V Pappu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
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6
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Patkar SS, Tang Y, Zhang T, Bisram AM, Saven JG, Pochan DJ, Kiick KL. Genetically Fused Resilin-like Polypeptide-Coiled Coil Bundlemer Conjugates Exhibit Tunable Multistimuli-Responsiveness and Undergo Nanofibrillar Assembly. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:2449-2461. [PMID: 38484154 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Peptide-based materials are diverse candidates for self-assembly into modularly designed and stimuli-responsive nanostructures with precisely tunable compositions. Here, we genetically fused computationally designed coiled coil-forming peptides to the N- and C-termini of compositionally distinct multistimuli-responsive resilin-like polypeptides (RLPs) of various lengths. The successful expression of these hybrid polypeptides in bacterial hosts was confirmed through techniques such as gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, and amino acid analysis. Circular dichroism spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible turbidimetry demonstrated that despite the fusion of disparate structural and responsive units, the coiled coils remained stable in the hybrid polypeptides, and the sequence-encoded differences in thermoresponsive phase separation of the RLPs were preserved. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy and coarse-grained modeling showed that after thermal annealing in solution, the hybrid polypeptides adopted a closed loop conformation and assembled into nanofibrils capable of further hierarchically organizing into cluster structures and ribbon-like structures mediated by the self-association tendency of the RLPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai S Patkar
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Yao Tang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Tianren Zhang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Arriana M Bisram
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Jeffery G Saven
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Darrin J Pochan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Kristi L Kiick
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19713, United States
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7
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Depenveiller C, Baud S, Belloy N, Bochicchio B, Dandurand J, Dauchez M, Pepe A, Pomès R, Samouillan V, Debelle L. Structural and physical basis for the elasticity of elastin. Q Rev Biophys 2024; 57:e3. [PMID: 38501287 DOI: 10.1017/s0033583524000040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Elastin function is to endow vertebrate tissues with elasticity so that they can adapt to local mechanical constraints. The hydrophobicity and insolubility of the mature elastin polymer have hampered studies of its molecular organisation and structure-elasticity relationships. Nevertheless, a growing number of studies from a broad range of disciplines have provided invaluable insights, and several structural models of elastin have been proposed. However, many questions remain regarding how the primary sequence of elastin (and the soluble precursor tropoelastin) governs the molecular structure, its organisation into a polymeric network, and the mechanical properties of the resulting material. The elasticity of elastin is known to be largely entropic in origin, a property that is understood to arise from both its disordered molecular structure and its hydrophobic character. Despite a high degree of hydrophobicity, elastin does not form compact, water-excluding domains and remains highly disordered. However, elastin contains both stable and labile secondary structure elements. Current models of elastin structure and function are drawn from data collected on tropoelastin and on elastin-like peptides (ELPs) but at the tissue level, elasticity is only achieved after polymerisation of the mature elastin. In tissues, the reticulation of tropoelastin chains in water defines the polymer elastin that bears elasticity. Similarly, ELPs require polymerisation to become elastic. There is considerable interest in elastin especially in the biomaterials and cosmetic fields where ELPs are widely used. This review aims to provide an up-to-date survey of/perspective on current knowledge about the interplay between elastin structure, solvation, and entropic elasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Depenveiller
- UMR URCA/CNRS 7369, Matrice Extracellulaire et Dynamique Cellulaire (MEDyC), UFR Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, SFR CAP Santé, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
- Unité de Génie Enzymatique et Cellulaire UMR 7025 CNRS, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - Stéphanie Baud
- UMR URCA/CNRS 7369, Matrice Extracellulaire et Dynamique Cellulaire (MEDyC), UFR Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, SFR CAP Santé, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
| | - Nicolas Belloy
- UMR URCA/CNRS 7369, Matrice Extracellulaire et Dynamique Cellulaire (MEDyC), UFR Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, SFR CAP Santé, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
| | - Brigida Bochicchio
- Laboratory of Bioinspired Materials, Department of Science, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Jany Dandurand
- CIRIMAT UMR 5085, Université Paul Sabatier, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Manuel Dauchez
- UMR URCA/CNRS 7369, Matrice Extracellulaire et Dynamique Cellulaire (MEDyC), UFR Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, SFR CAP Santé, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
| | - Antonietta Pepe
- Laboratory of Bioinspired Materials, Department of Science, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Régis Pomès
- Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Valérie Samouillan
- CIRIMAT UMR 5085, Université Paul Sabatier, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Laurent Debelle
- UMR URCA/CNRS 7369, Matrice Extracellulaire et Dynamique Cellulaire (MEDyC), UFR Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, SFR CAP Santé, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
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8
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Mondal S, Cui Q. Sequence Sensitivity in Membrane Remodeling by Polyampholyte Condensates. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:2087-2099. [PMID: 38407041 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c08149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered peptides (IDPs) have been found to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and produce complex coacervates that play numerous regulatory roles in the cell. Recent experimental studies have discovered that LLPS at or near the membrane surface helps in the biomolecular organization during signaling events and can significantly alter the membrane morphology. However, the molecular mechanism and microscopic details of such processes still remain unclear. Here we study the effect of polyampholyte and polyelectrolyte condensation on two different anionic membranes, as they represent a majority of naturally occurring IDPs. The polyampholytes are fifty-residue polymers, made of glutamate(E) and lysine(K) with different charge patterns. The polyelectrolytes are separate chains of E25 and K25. We first calibrate the MARTINI v3.0 force field and then perform long-time-scale coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. We find that condensates formed by all the polyampholytes get adsorbed on the membrane. However, the strong polyampholytes (i.e., blocky sequences) can remodel the membranes more prominently than the weaker ones (i.e., scrambled sequences). Condensates formed by the blocky sequences induce a significant negative curvature (∼0.1 nm-1) and local demixing of lipids, whereas those by the scrambled sequences tend to wet the membrane to a greater extent without generating significant curvature or demixing. We perform several microscopic analyses to characterize the nature of the interaction between membranes and these condensates. Our analyses of interaction energetics reveal that membrane remodeling and/or wetting are favored by enhanced interactions between polyampholytes with lipids and the counterions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayantan Mondal
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Qiang Cui
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Physics, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 44 Cummington Mall, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
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9
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Dar F, Cohen SR, Mitrea DM, Phillips AH, Nagy G, Leite WC, Stanley CB, Choi JM, Kriwacki RW, Pappu RV. Biomolecular condensates form spatially inhomogeneous network fluids. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.07.561338. [PMID: 37873180 PMCID: PMC10592670 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.07.561338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
The functions of biomolecular condensates are thought to be influenced by their material properties, and these will be determined by the internal organization of molecules within condensates. However, structural characterizations of condensates are challenging, and rarely reported. Here, we deploy a combination of small angle neutron scattering, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, and coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to provide structural descriptions of model condensates that are formed by macromolecules from nucleolar granular components (GCs). We show that these minimal facsimiles of GCs form condensates that are network fluids featuring spatial inhomogeneities across different length scales that reflect the contributions of distinct protein and peptide domains. The network-like inhomogeneous organization is characterized by a coexistence of liquid- and gas-like macromolecular densities that engenders bimodality of internal molecular dynamics. These insights suggest that condensates formed by multivalent proteins share features with network fluids formed by systems such as patchy or hairy colloids.
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10
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Strader RL, Shmidov Y, Chilkoti A. Encoding Structure in Intrinsically Disordered Protein Biomaterials. Acc Chem Res 2024; 57:302-311. [PMID: 38194282 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
ConspectusIn nature, proteins range from those with highly ordered secondary and tertiary structures to those that completely lack a well-defined three-dimensional structure, termed intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). IDPs are generally characterized by one or more segments that have a compositional bias toward small hydrophilic amino acids and proline residues that promote structural disorder and are called intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs). The combination of IDRs with ordered regions and the interactions between the two determine the phase behavior, structure, and function of IDPs. Nature also diversifies the structure of proteins and thereby their functions by hybridization of the proteins with other moieties such as glycans and lipids; for instance, post-translationally glycosylated and lipidated proteins are important cell membrane components. Additionally, diversity in protein structure and function is achieved in nature through cross-linking proteins within themselves or with other domains to create various topologies. For example, an essential characteristic of the extracellular matrix (ECM) is the cross-linking of its network components, including proteins such as collagen and elastin, as well as polysaccharides such as hyaluronic acid (HA). Inspired by nature, synthetic IDP (SynIDP)-based biomaterials can be designed by employing similar strategies with the goal of introducing structural diversity and hence unique physiochemical properties. This Account describes such materials produced over the past decade and following one or more of the following approaches: (1) incorporating highly ordered domains into SynIDPs, (2) conjugating SynIDPs to other moieties through either genetically encoded post-translational modification or chemical conjugation, and (3) engineering the topology of SynIDPs via chemical modification. These approaches introduce modifications to the primary structure of SynIDPs, which are then translated to unique three-dimensional secondary and tertiary structures. Beginning with completely disordered SynIDPs as the point of origin, structure may be introduced into SynIDPs by each of these three unique approaches individually along orthogonal axes or by combinations of the three, enabling bioinspired designs to theoretically span the entire range of three-dimensional structural possibilities. Furthermore, the resultant structures span a wide range of length scales, from nano- to meso- to micro- and even macrostructures. In this Account, emphasis is placed on the physiochemical properties and structural features of the described materials. Conjugates of SynIDPs to synthetic polymers and materials achieved by simple mixing of components are outside the scope of this Account. Related biomedical applications are described briefly. Finally, we note future directions for the design of functional SynIDP-based biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L Strader
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Yulia Shmidov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Ashutosh Chilkoti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
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11
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Britton D, Christians LF, Liu C, Legocki J, Xiao Y, Meleties M, Yang L, Cammer M, Jia S, Zhang Z, Mahmoudinobar F, Kowalski Z, Renfrew PD, Bonneau R, Pochan DJ, Pak AJ, Montclare JK. Computational Prediction of Coiled-Coil Protein Gelation Dynamics and Structure. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:258-271. [PMID: 38110299 PMCID: PMC10777397 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Protein hydrogels represent an important and growing biomaterial for a multitude of applications, including diagnostics and drug delivery. We have previously explored the ability to engineer the thermoresponsive supramolecular assembly of coiled-coil proteins into hydrogels with varying gelation properties, where we have defined important parameters in the coiled-coil hydrogel design. Using Rosetta energy scores and Poisson-Boltzmann electrostatic energies, we iterate a computational design strategy to predict the gelation of coiled-coil proteins while simultaneously exploring five new coiled-coil protein hydrogel sequences. Provided this library, we explore the impact of in silico energies on structure and gelation kinetics, where we also reveal a range of blue autofluorescence that enables hydrogel disassembly and recovery. As a result of this library, we identify the new coiled-coil hydrogel sequence, Q5, capable of gelation within 24 h at 4 °C, a more than 2-fold increase over that of our previous iteration Q2. The fast gelation time of Q5 enables the assessment of structural transition in real time using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) that is correlated to coarse-grained and atomistic molecular dynamics simulations revealing the supramolecular assembling behavior of coiled-coils toward nanofiber assembly and gelation. This work represents the first system of hydrogels with predictable self-assembly, autofluorescent capability, and a molecular model of coiled-coil fiber formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin Britton
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York 11201, United States
| | - Luc F. Christians
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Chengliang Liu
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York 11201, United States
| | - Jakub Legocki
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York 11201, United States
| | - Yingxin Xiao
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York 11201, United States
| | - Michael Meleties
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York 11201, United States
| | - Lin Yang
- National
Synchrotron Light Source-II, Brookhaven
National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Michael Cammer
- Microscopy
Laboratory, New York University Langone
Health, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Sihan Jia
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York 11201, United States
| | - Zihan Zhang
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University
of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Farbod Mahmoudinobar
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York 11201, United States
- Center for
Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation, New York, New York 10010, United States
| | - Zuzanna Kowalski
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York 11201, United States
| | - P. Douglas Renfrew
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York 11201, United States
| | - Richard Bonneau
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York 11201, United States
- Center
for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York
University, New York, New York 10003, United States
- Courant
Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Computer Science Department, New York University, New York, New York 10009, United States
| | - Darrin J. Pochan
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University
of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Alexander J. Pak
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
- Quantitative
Biosciences and Engineering, Colorado School
of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Jin Kim Montclare
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York 11201, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10012, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New
York University, New York, New York 11201, United States
- Bernard
and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department
of Radiology, New York University School
of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, United States
- Department of Biomaterials, New York University
College of Dentistry, New York, New York 10010, United States
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12
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Wu J, Zhou L, Peng H, Wang Z, Wang Z, Keasling JD, Liu S, Zhou G, Ding S, Wang Q, Wang X, Chen X, Lang Y, Xia M, Guan X, Dong M, Zhou J, Chen J. A General and Convenient Peptide Self-Assembling Mechanism for Developing Supramolecular Versatile Nanomaterials Based on The Biosynthetic Hybrid Amyloid-Resilin Protein. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2304364. [PMID: 37885340 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202304364] [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: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Self-assembling peptides are valuable building blocks to fabricate supramolecular biomaterials, which have broad applications from biomedicine to biotechnology. However, limited choices to induce different globular proteins into hydrogels hinder these designs. Here, an easy-to-implement and tunable self-assembling strategy, which employs Ure2 amyloidogenic peptide, are described to induce any target proteins to assemble into supramolecular hydrogels alone or in combination with notable compositional control. Furthermore, the collective effect of nanoscale interactions among amyloid nanofibrils and partially disordered elastomeric polypeptides are investigated. This led to many useful macroscopic material properties simultaneously emerging from one pure protein material, i.e. strong adhesion to any substrates under wet conditions, rapidly self--assembling into robust and porous hydrogels, adaptation to remodeling processes, strongly promoting cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation. Moreover, he demonstrated this supramolecular material's robust performance in vitro and vivo for tissue engineering, cosmetic and hemostasis applications and exhibited superior performance compared to corresponding commercial counterparts. To the best of his knowledge, few pure protein-based materials could meet such seemingly mutually exclusive properties simultaneously. Such versatility renders this novel supramolecular nanomaterial as next-generation functional protein-based materials, and he demonstrated the sequence level modulation of structural order and disorder as an untapped principle to design new proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjun Wu
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Lin Zhou
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Hu Peng
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Zhaojun Wang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Zhaoshi Wang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Jay D Keasling
- Departments of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Shike Liu
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, China
| | - Guanghong Zhou
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Shijie Ding
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Qiong Wang
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Xuejian Wang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Xinxiu Chen
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Yifei Lang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Mo Xia
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Xin Guan
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, China
| | - Mingsheng Dong
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Jingwen Zhou
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, China
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13
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Suhar RA, Huang MS, Navarro RS, Aviles Rodriguez G, Heilshorn SC. A Library of Elastin-like Proteins with Tunable Matrix Ligands for In Vitro 3D Neural Cell Culture. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:5926-5939. [PMID: 37988588 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogels with encapsulated cells have widespread biomedical applications, both as tissue-mimetic 3D cultures in vitro and as tissue-engineered therapies in vivo. Within these hydrogels, the presentation of cell-instructive extracellular matrix (ECM)-derived ligands and matrix stiffness are critical factors known to influence numerous cell behaviors. While individual ECM biopolymers can be blended together to alter the presentation of cell-instructive ligands, this typically results in hydrogels with a range of mechanical properties. Synthetic systems that allow for the facile incorporation and modulation of multiple ligands without modification of matrix mechanics are highly desirable. In the present work, we leverage protein engineering to design a family of xeno-free hydrogels (i.e., devoid of animal-derived components) consisting of recombinant hyaluronan and recombinant elastin-like proteins (ELPs), cross-linked together with dynamic covalent bonds. The ELP components incorporate cell-instructive peptide ligands derived from ECM proteins, including fibronectin (RGD), laminin (IKVAV and YIGSR), collagen (DGEA), and tenascin-C (PLAEIDGIELTY and VFDNFVL). By carefully designing the protein primary sequence, we form 3D hydrogels with defined and tunable concentrations of cell-instructive ligands that have similar matrix mechanics. Utilizing this system, we demonstrate that neurite outgrowth from encapsulated embryonic dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cultures is significantly modified by cell-instructive ligand content. Thus, this library of protein-engineered hydrogels is a cell-compatible system to systematically study cell responses to matrix-derived ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riley A Suhar
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Michelle S Huang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- The Institute for Chemistry, Stanford University, Engineering & Medicine for Human Health (Sarafan ChEM-H), Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Renato S Navarro
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Giselle Aviles Rodriguez
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Sarah C Heilshorn
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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14
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Wadsworth GM, Zahurancik WJ, Zeng X, Pullara P, Lai LB, Sidharthan V, Pappu RV, Gopalan V, Banerjee PR. RNAs undergo phase transitions with lower critical solution temperatures. Nat Chem 2023; 15:1693-1704. [PMID: 37932412 PMCID: PMC10872781 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01353-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Co-phase separation of RNAs and RNA-binding proteins drives the biogenesis of ribonucleoprotein granules. RNAs can also undergo phase transitions in the absence of proteins. However, the physicochemical driving forces of protein-free, RNA-driven phase transitions remain unclear. Here we report that various types of RNA undergo phase separation with system-specific lower critical solution temperatures. This entropically driven phase separation is an intrinsic feature of the phosphate backbone that requires Mg2+ ions and is modulated by RNA bases. RNA-only condensates can additionally undergo enthalpically favourable percolation transitions within dense phases. This is enabled by a combination of Mg2+-dependent bridging interactions between phosphate groups and RNA-specific base stacking and base pairing. Phase separation coupled to percolation can cause dynamic arrest of RNAs within condensates and suppress the catalytic activity of an RNase P ribozyme. Our work highlights the need to incorporate RNA-driven phase transitions into models for ribonucleoprotein granule biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gable M Wadsworth
- Department of Physics, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Walter J Zahurancik
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Xiangze Zeng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Physics, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
- Teaching and Research Division, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Paul Pullara
- Department of Physics, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Lien B Lai
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Vaishnavi Sidharthan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Rohit V Pappu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Venkat Gopalan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Priya R Banerjee
- Department of Physics, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
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15
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Elena-Real CA, Mier P, Sibille N, Andrade-Navarro MA, Bernadó P. Structure-function relationships in protein homorepeats. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 83:102726. [PMID: 37924569 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Homorepeats (or polyX), protein segments containing repetitions of the same amino acid, are abundant in proteomes from all kingdoms of life and are involved in crucial biological functions as well as several neurodegenerative and developmental diseases. Mainly inserted in disordered segments of proteins, the structure/function relationships of homorepeats remain largely unexplored. In this review, we summarize present knowledge for the most abundant homorepeats, highlighting the role of the inherent structure and the conformational influence exerted by their flanking regions. Recent experimental and computational methods enable residue-specific investigations of these regions and promise novel structural and dynamic information for this elusive group of proteins. This information should increase our knowledge about the structural bases of phenomena such as liquid-liquid phase separation and trinucleotide repeat disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Elena-Real
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), Université de Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS. 29 rue de Navacelles, 34090 Montpellier, France. https://twitter.com/carloselenareal
| | - Pablo Mier
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. Hans-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Nathalie Sibille
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), Université de Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS. 29 rue de Navacelles, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Miguel A Andrade-Navarro
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. Hans-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Pau Bernadó
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), Université de Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS. 29 rue de Navacelles, 34090 Montpellier, France.
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16
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Stormo BM, McLaughlin GA, Frederick LK, Jalihal AP, Cole SJ, Seim I, Dietrich FS, Gladfelter AS. Biomolecular condensates in fungi are tuned to function at specific temperatures. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.27.568884. [PMID: 38076832 PMCID: PMC10705276 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.27.568884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Temperature can impact every reaction and molecular interaction essential to a cell. For organisms that cannot regulate their own temperature, a major challenge is how to adapt to temperatures that fluctuate unpredictability and on variable timescales. Biomolecular condensation offers a possible mechanism for encoding temperature-responsiveness and robustness into cell biochemistry and organization. To explore this idea, we examined temperature adaptation in a filamentous-growing fungus called Ashbya gossypii that engages biomolecular condensates containing the RNA-binding protein Whi3 to regulate mitosis and morphogenesis. We collected wild isolates of Ashbya that originate in different climates and found that mitotic asynchrony and polarized growth, which are known to be controlled by the condensation of Whi3, are temperature sensitive. Sequence analysis in the wild strains revealed changes to specific domains within Whi3 known to be important in condensate formation. Using an in vitro condensate reconstitution assay we found that temperature impacts the relative abundance of protein to RNA within condensates and that this directly impacts the material properties of the droplets. Finally, we found that exchanging Whi3 genes between warm and cold isolates was sufficient to rescue some, but not all, condensate-related phenotypes. Together these data demonstrate that material properties of Whi3 condensates are temperature sensitive, that these properties are important for function, and that sequence optimizes properties for a given climate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Grace A. McLaughlin
- Duke University, Department of Cell Biology, Durham, NC
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Department of Biology
| | | | | | - Sierra J Cole
- Duke University, Department of Cell Biology, Durham, NC
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
| | - Ian Seim
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Fred S. Dietrich
- Duke University, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Durham, NC
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17
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Guo Y, Liu S, Jing D, Liu N, Luo X. The construction of elastin-like polypeptides and their applications in drug delivery system and tissue repair. J Nanobiotechnology 2023; 21:418. [PMID: 37951928 PMCID: PMC10638729 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-023-02184-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are thermally responsive biopolymers derived from natural elastin. These peptides have a low critical solution temperature phase behavior and can be used to prepare stimuli-responsive biomaterials. Through genetic engineering, biomaterials prepared from ELPs can have unique and customizable properties. By adjusting the amino acid sequence and length of ELPs, nanostructures, such as micelles and nanofibers, can be formed. Correspondingly, ELPs have been used for improving the stability and prolonging drug-release time. Furthermore, ELPs have widespread use in tissue repair due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. Here, this review summarizes the basic property composition of ELPs and the methods for modulating their phase transition properties, discusses the application of drug delivery system and tissue repair and clarifies the current challenges and future directions of ELPs in applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingshu Guo
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250353, China.
| | - Shiwei Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250353, China
| | - Dan Jing
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250353, China
| | - Nianzu Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250353, China
| | - Xiliang Luo
- Key Laboratory of Optic-Electric Sensing and Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, MOE, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China.
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18
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Netzer A, Katzir I, Baruch Leshem A, Weitman M, Lampel A. Emergent properties of melanin-inspired peptide/RNA condensates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2310569120. [PMID: 37871222 PMCID: PMC10622964 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2310569120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Most biocatalytic processes in eukaryotic cells are regulated by subcellular microenvironments such as membrane-bound or membraneless organelles. These natural compartmentalization systems have inspired the design of synthetic compartments composed of a variety of building blocks. Recently, the emerging field of liquid-liquid phase separation has facilitated the design of biomolecular condensates composed of proteins and nucleic acids, with controllable properties including polarity, diffusivity, surface tension, and encapsulation efficiency. However, utilizing phase-separated condensates as optical sensors has not yet been attempted. Here, we were inspired by the biosynthesis of melanin pigments, a key biocatalytic process that is regulated by compartmentalization in organelles, to design minimalistic biomolecular condensates with emergent optical properties. Melanins are ubiquitous pigment materials with a range of functionalities including photoprotection, coloration, and free radical scavenging activity. Their biosynthesis in the confined melanosomes involves oxidation-polymerization of tyrosine (Tyr), catalyzed by the enzyme tyrosinase. We have now developed condensates that are formed by an interaction between a Tyr-containing peptide and RNA and can serve as both microreactors and substrates for tyrosinase. Importantly, partitioning of Tyr into the condensates and subsequent oxidation-polymerization gives rise to unique optical properties including far-red fluorescence. We now demonstrate that individual condensates can serve as sensors to detect tyrosinase activity, with a limit of detection similar to that of synthetic fluorescent probes. This approach opens opportunities to utilize designer biomolecular condensates as diagnostic tools for various disorders involving abnormal enzymatic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Netzer
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv69978, Israel
| | - Itai Katzir
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv69978, Israel
| | - Avigail Baruch Leshem
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv69978, Israel
| | - Michal Weitman
- Department of Chemistry Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan5290002, Israel
| | - Ayala Lampel
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv69978, Israel
- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv69978, Israel
- Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv69978, Israel
- Center for the Physics and Chemistry of Living Systems, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv69978, Israel
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19
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Dar F, Cohen SR, Mitrea DM, Phillips AH, Nagy G, Leite WC, Stanley CB, Choi JM, Kriwacki RW, Pappu RV. Biomolecular condensates form spatially inhomogeneous network fluids. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3419423. [PMID: 37886520 PMCID: PMC10602126 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3419423/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The functions of biomolecular condensates are thought to be influenced by their material properties, and these are in turn determined by the multiscale structural features within condensates. However, structural characterizations of condensates are challenging, and hence rarely reported. Here, we deploy a combination of small angle neutron scattering, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, and bespoke coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to provide structural descriptions of model condensates that mimic nucleolar granular components (GCs). We show that facsimiles of GCs are network fluids featuring spatial inhomogeneities across hierarchies of length scales that reflect the contributions of distinct protein and peptide domains. The network-like inhomogeneous organization is characterized by a coexistence of liquid- and gas-like macromolecular densities that engenders bimodality of internal molecular dynamics. These insights, extracted from a combination of approaches, suggest that condensates formed by multivalent proteins share features with network fluids formed by associative systems such as patchy or hairy colloids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Furqan Dar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Furqan Dar, Samuel R. Cohen, and Jeong-Mo Choi
| | - Samuel R. Cohen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Furqan Dar, Samuel R. Cohen, and Jeong-Mo Choi
| | - Diana M. Mitrea
- Dewpoint Therapeutics Inc., 451 D Street, Boston, MA 02210, USA
| | - Aaron H. Phillips
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Gergely Nagy
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
| | - Wellington C. Leite
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
| | - Christopher B. Stanley
- Computational Sciences and Engineering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
| | - Jeong-Mo Choi
- Department of Chemistry and Chemistry Institute for Functional Materials, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
- These authors contributed equally: Furqan Dar, Samuel R. Cohen, and Jeong-Mo Choi
| | - Richard W. Kriwacki
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Rohit V. Pappu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
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20
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Gaash D, Dewan S, Leshem AB, Jaiswal KS, Jelinek R, Lampel A. Modulating the optical properties of carbon dots by peptide condensates. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:12298-12301. [PMID: 37752864 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc03945e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Here, we utilized designed condensates formed by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of cationic and aromatic peptide to sequester tyrosine-based carbon dots (C-dots). The C-dots fluorescence is quenched and retrieved upon partitioning and release from condensates, allowing a spatial regulation of C-dots fluorescence which can be utilized for biosensing applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dor Gaash
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
| | - Simran Dewan
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
| | - Avigail Baruch Leshem
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
| | - Kumar Sagar Jaiswal
- Department of Chemistry, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Beer Sheva, Israel
- Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology (IKI), Ben Gurion University of the Negen, Israel
| | - Raz Jelinek
- Department of Chemistry, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Beer Sheva, Israel
- Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology (IKI), Ben Gurion University of the Negen, Israel
| | - Ayala Lampel
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Center for the Physics and Chemistry of Living Systems, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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21
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Zhang X, Li J, Ma C, Zhang H, Liu K. Biomimetic Structural Proteins: Modular Assembly and High Mechanical Performance. Acc Chem Res 2023; 56:2664-2675. [PMID: 37738227 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Protein-based biomaterials attract growing interests due to their encoded and programmable robust mechanical properties, superelasticity, plasticity, shape adaptability, excellent interfacial behavior, etc., derived from sequence-guided backbone structures, particularly compared to chemically synthetic counterparts in materials science and biomedical engineering. For example, protein materials have been successfully fabricated as (1) artificial implants (man-made tendons, cartilages, or dental tissues), due to programmable chemistry and biocompatibility; (2) smart biodevices with temperature/light-response and self-healing effects; and (3) impact resistance materials having great mechanical performance due to biomimetics. However, the existing method of regenerating protein materials from natural sources has two critical issues, low yield and structural damage, making it unable to meet demands. Therefore, it is crucial to develop an alternative strategy for fabricating protein materials. Heterologous expression of natural proteins with a modular assembly approach is an effective strategy for material preparation. Standardized, easy-to-assemble protein modules with specific structures and functions are developed through experimental and computational tools based on natural functional protein sequences. Through recombination and heterologous expression, these artificial protein modules become keys to material fabrication. Undergoing an assembly process similar to supramolecular self-assembly of proteins in cells, biomimetic modules can be fabricated for formation of macroscopic materials such as fibers and adhesives. This strategy inspired by synthetic biology and supramolecular chemistry is important for improving target protein yields and assembly integrity. It also preserves and optimizes the mechanical functions of structural proteins, accelerating the design and fabrication of artificial protein materials.In this Account, we overview recent studies on fabricating biomimetic protein materials to elucidate the concept of modular assembly. We discuss the design of biomimetic structural proteins at the molecular level, providing a wealth of details determining the bulk properties of materials. Additinally, we describe the modular self-assembly and assembly driven by inducing molecules, and mechanical properties and applications of resulting fibers. We used these strategies to develop fiber materials with high tensile strength, high toughness, and properties such as anti-icing and high-temperature resistance. We also extended this approach to design protein-based adhesives with ultra-strong adhesion, biocompatibility, and biodegradability for surgical applications such as wound sealing and healing. Other protein materials, including films and hydrogels, have been developed through chemical assembly routes. Finally, we describe exploiting synthetic biology and chemistry to overcome bottlenecks in structural protein modular design, biosynthesis, and material assembly and our perspectives for future development in structural biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jingjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Chao Ma
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Xiangfu Laboratory, Building 5, No.828 Zhongxing Road, Xitang Town, Jiashan, Jiaxing, Zhejiang 314102, China
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Xiangfu Laboratory, Building 5, No.828 Zhongxing Road, Xitang Town, Jiashan, Jiaxing, Zhejiang 314102, China
| | - Kai Liu
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Xiangfu Laboratory, Building 5, No.828 Zhongxing Road, Xitang Town, Jiashan, Jiaxing, Zhejiang 314102, China
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22
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Elena-Real CA, Urbanek A, Imbert L, Morató A, Fournet A, Allemand F, Sibille N, Boisbouvier J, Bernadó P. Site-Specific Introduction of Alanines for the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Investigation of Low-Complexity Regions and Large Biomolecular Assemblies. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:2039-2049. [PMID: 37582223 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies of large biomolecular machines and highly repetitive proteins remain challenging due to the difficulty of assigning frequencies to individual nuclei. Here, we present an efficient strategy to address this challenge by engineering a Pyrococcus horikoshii tRNA/alanyl-tRNA synthetase pair that enables the incorporation of up to three isotopically labeled alanine residues in a site-specific manner using in vitro protein expression. The general applicability of this approach for NMR assignment has been demonstrated by introducing isotopically labeled alanines into four distinct proteins: huntingtin exon-1, HMA8 ATPase, the 300 kDa molecular chaperone ClpP, and the alanine-rich Phox2B transcription factor. For large protein assemblies, our labeling approach enabled unambiguous assignments while avoiding potential artifacts induced by site-specific mutations. When applied to Phox2B, which contains two poly-alanine tracts of nine and twenty alanines, we observed that the helical stability is strongly dependent on the homorepeat length. The capacity to selectively introduce alanines with distinct labeling patterns is a powerful tool to probe structure and dynamics of challenging biomolecular systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Elena-Real
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), Université de Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, 29 rue de Navacelles, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Annika Urbanek
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), Université de Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, 29 rue de Navacelles, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Lionel Imbert
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 71, avenue des martyrs, F-38044 Grenoble, France
| | - Anna Morató
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), Université de Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, 29 rue de Navacelles, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Aurélie Fournet
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), Université de Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, 29 rue de Navacelles, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Frédéric Allemand
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), Université de Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, 29 rue de Navacelles, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Nathalie Sibille
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), Université de Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, 29 rue de Navacelles, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Jérôme Boisbouvier
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 71, avenue des martyrs, F-38044 Grenoble, France
| | - Pau Bernadó
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), Université de Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, 29 rue de Navacelles, 34090 Montpellier, France
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23
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Xiao W, He K, Yu C, Zhou Z, Xia L, Xie S, Li H, Zhang M, Zhang Z, Luo P, Wen L, Chen G. Space Station-like Composite Nanoparticles for Co-Delivery of Multiple Natural Compounds from Chinese Medicine and Hydrogen in Combating Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:3987-4006. [PMID: 37503854 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Ototoxic drugs such as aminoglycoside antibiotics and cisplatin (CDDP) can cause sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), which is closely related to oxidative stress and the acidification of the inner ear microenvironment. Effective treatment of SNHL often requires multifaceted approach due to the complex pathology, and drug combination therapy is expected to be at the forefront of modern hearing loss treatment. Here, space-station-like composite nanoparticles (CCC@mPP NPs) with pH/oxidation dual responsiveness and multidrug simultaneous delivery capability were constructed and then loaded with various drugs including panax notoginseng saponins (PNS), tanshinone IIA (TSIIA), and ammonia borane (AB) to provide robust protection against SNHL. Molecular dynamics simulation revealed that carboxymethyl chitosan/calcium carbonate-chitosan (CCC) NPs and monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-PLGA (mPP) NPs can rendezvous and dock primarily by hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic forces may be involved. Moreover, CCC@mPP NPs crossed the round window membrane (RWM) and entered the inner ear through endocytosis and paracellular pathway. The docking state was basically maintained during this process, which created favorable conditions for multidrug delivery. This nanosystem was highly sensitive to pH and reactive oxygen species (ROS) changes, as evidenced by the restricted release of payload at alkaline condition (pH 7.4) without ROS, while significantly promoting the release in acidic condition (pH 5.0 and 6.0) with ROS. TSIIA/PNS/AB-loaded CCC@mPP NPs almost completely preserved the hair cells and remained the hearing threshold shift within normal limits in aminoglycoside- or CDDP-treated guinea pigs. Further experiments demonstrated that the protective mechanisms of TSIIA/PNS/AB-loaded CCC@mPP NPs involved direct and indirect scavenging of excessive ROS, and reduced release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments showed the high biocompatibility of the composite NPs, even after long-term administration. Collectively, this work suggests that composite NPs is an ideal multi-drug-delivery vehicle and open new avenues for inner ear disease therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbin Xiao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery & Guangdong Provincial Engineering Center of Topical Precise Drug Delivery System & Class III Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Preparation & Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine of Education Department of Guangdong Province, Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Kerui He
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery & Guangdong Provincial Engineering Center of Topical Precise Drug Delivery System & Class III Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Preparation & Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine of Education Department of Guangdong Province, Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Chong Yu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery & Guangdong Provincial Engineering Center of Topical Precise Drug Delivery System & Class III Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Preparation & Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine of Education Department of Guangdong Province, Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zeming Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery & Guangdong Provincial Engineering Center of Topical Precise Drug Delivery System & Class III Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Preparation & Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine of Education Department of Guangdong Province, Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Liye Xia
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery & Guangdong Provincial Engineering Center of Topical Precise Drug Delivery System & Class III Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Preparation & Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine of Education Department of Guangdong Province, Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Shibao Xie
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery & Guangdong Provincial Engineering Center of Topical Precise Drug Delivery System & Class III Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Preparation & Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine of Education Department of Guangdong Province, Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Hanqi Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery & Guangdong Provincial Engineering Center of Topical Precise Drug Delivery System & Class III Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Preparation & Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine of Education Department of Guangdong Province, Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Ming Zhang
- Guangdong Sunho Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Zhongshan 528437, China
| | - Zhifeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 000853, China
| | - Pei Luo
- State Key Laboratory for Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 000853, China
| | - Lu Wen
- School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Gang Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery & Guangdong Provincial Engineering Center of Topical Precise Drug Delivery System & Class III Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Preparation & Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine of Education Department of Guangdong Province, Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
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24
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Wang X, Zhou Z, Yu C, He K, Sun L, Kou Y, Zhang M, Zhang Z, Luo P, Wen L, Chen G. A prestin-targeting peptide-guided drug delivery system rearranging concentration gradient in the inner ear: An improved strategy against hearing loss. Eur J Pharm Sci 2023; 187:106490. [PMID: 37295658 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2023.106490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Hearing loss is mainly due to outer hair cell (OHC) damage in three cochlear turns. Local administration via the round window membrane (RWM) has considerable otological clinical potential in bypassing the blood-labyrinth barrier. However, insufficient drug distribution in the apical and middle cochlear turns results in unsatisfactory efficacy. We functionalized poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (PLGA NPs) with targeting peptide A665, which specifically bound to prestin, a protein uniquely expressed in OHCs. The modification facilitated the cellular uptake and RWM permeability of NPs. Notably, the guide of A665 towards OHCs enabled more NPs perfusion in the apical and middle cochlear turns without decreasing accumulation in the basal cochlear turn. Subsequently, curcumin (CUR), an appealing anti-ototoxic drug, was encapsulated in NPs. In aminoglycoside-treated guinea pigs with the worst hearing level, CUR/A665-PLGA NPs, with superior performance to CUR/PLGA NPs, almost completely preserved the OHCs in three cochlear turns. The lack of increased low-frequencies hearing thresholds further confirmed that the delivery system with prestin affinity mediated cochlear distribution rearrangement. Good inner ear biocompatibility and little or no embryonic zebrafish toxicity were observed throughout the treatment. Overall, A665-PLGA NPs act as desirable tools with sufficient inner ear delivery for improved efficacy against severe hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinrui Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery & Guangdong Provincial Engineering Center of Topical Precise Drug Delivery System & Class III Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Preparation & Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine of Education Department of Guangdong Province, Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zeming Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery & Guangdong Provincial Engineering Center of Topical Precise Drug Delivery System & Class III Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Preparation & Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine of Education Department of Guangdong Province, Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Chong Yu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery & Guangdong Provincial Engineering Center of Topical Precise Drug Delivery System & Class III Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Preparation & Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine of Education Department of Guangdong Province, Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Kerui He
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery & Guangdong Provincial Engineering Center of Topical Precise Drug Delivery System & Class III Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Preparation & Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine of Education Department of Guangdong Province, Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Lifang Sun
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery & Guangdong Provincial Engineering Center of Topical Precise Drug Delivery System & Class III Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Preparation & Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine of Education Department of Guangdong Province, Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yuwei Kou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery & Guangdong Provincial Engineering Center of Topical Precise Drug Delivery System & Class III Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Preparation & Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine of Education Department of Guangdong Province, Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Ming Zhang
- Guangdong Sunho Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Zhongshan 528437, China
| | - Zhifeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 000853, China
| | - Pei Luo
- State Key Laboratory for Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 000853, China
| | - Lu Wen
- School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Gang Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery & Guangdong Provincial Engineering Center of Topical Precise Drug Delivery System & Class III Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Preparation & Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine of Education Department of Guangdong Province, Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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25
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Polyansky AA, Gallego LD, Efremov RG, Köhler A, Zagrovic B. Protein compactness and interaction valency define the architecture of a biomolecular condensate across scales. eLife 2023; 12:e80038. [PMID: 37470705 PMCID: PMC10406433 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-membrane-bound biomolecular condensates have been proposed to represent an important mode of subcellular organization in diverse biological settings. However, the fundamental principles governing the spatial organization and dynamics of condensates at the atomistic level remain unclear. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Lge1 protein is required for histone H2B ubiquitination and its N-terminal intrinsically disordered fragment (Lge11-80) undergoes robust phase separation. This study connects single- and multi-chain all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of Lge11-80 with the in vitro behavior of Lge11-80 condensates. Analysis of modeled protein-protein interactions elucidates the key determinants of Lge11-80 condensate formation and links configurational entropy, valency, and compactness of proteins inside the condensates. A newly derived analytical formalism, related to colloid fractal cluster formation, describes condensate architecture across length scales as a function of protein valency and compactness. In particular, the formalism provides an atomistically resolved model of Lge11-80 condensates on the scale of hundreds of nanometers starting from individual protein conformers captured in simulations. The simulation-derived fractal dimensions of condensates of Lge11-80 and its mutants agree with their in vitro morphologies. The presented framework enables a multiscale description of biomolecular condensates and embeds their study in a wider context of colloid self-organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton A Polyansky
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter Campus (VBC)ViennaAustria
- University of Vienna, Center for Molecular Biology, Department of Structural and Computational BiologyViennaAustria
| | - Laura D Gallego
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter Campus (VBC)ViennaAustria
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical BiochemistryViennaAustria
| | - Roman G Efremov
- MM Shemyakin and Yu A Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of SciencesMoscowRussian Federation
| | - Alwin Köhler
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter Campus (VBC)ViennaAustria
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical BiochemistryViennaAustria
- University of Vienna, Center for Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Cell BiologyViennaAustria
| | - Bojan Zagrovic
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter Campus (VBC)ViennaAustria
- University of Vienna, Center for Molecular Biology, Department of Structural and Computational BiologyViennaAustria
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26
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Dai Y, You L, Chilkoti A. Engineering synthetic biomolecular condensates. NATURE REVIEWS BIOENGINEERING 2023; 1:1-15. [PMID: 37359769 PMCID: PMC10107566 DOI: 10.1038/s44222-023-00052-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The concept of phase-separation-mediated formation of biomolecular condensates provides a new framework to understand cellular organization and cooperativity-dependent cellular functions. With growing understanding of how biological systems drive phase separation and how cellular functions are encoded by biomolecular condensates, opportunities have emerged for cellular control through engineering of synthetic biomolecular condensates. In this Review, we discuss how to construct synthetic biomolecular condensates and how they can regulate cellular functions. We first describe the fundamental principles by which biomolecular components can drive phase separation. Next, we discuss the relationship between the properties of condensates and their cellular functions, which informs the design of components to create programmable synthetic condensates. Finally, we describe recent applications of synthetic biomolecular condensates for cellular control and discuss some of the design considerations and prospective applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Dai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Lingchong You
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Ashutosh Chilkoti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
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27
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Abstract
Multivalent proteins and nucleic acids, collectively referred to as multivalent associative biomacromolecules, provide the driving forces for the formation and compositional regulation of biomolecular condensates. Here, we review the key concepts of phase transitions of aqueous solutions of associative biomacromolecules, specifically proteins that include folded domains and intrinsically disordered regions. The phase transitions of these systems come under the rubric of coupled associative and segregative transitions. The concepts underlying these processes are presented, and their relevance to biomolecular condensates is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohit V Pappu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biomolecular Condensates (CBC), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Samuel R Cohen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biomolecular Condensates (CBC), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States.,Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Furqan Dar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biomolecular Condensates (CBC), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Mina Farag
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biomolecular Condensates (CBC), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Mrityunjoy Kar
- Max Planck Institute of Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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28
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Garcia Garcia C, Patkar SS, Wang B, Abouomar R, Kiick KL. Recombinant protein-based injectable materials for biomedical applications. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 193:114673. [PMID: 36574920 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Injectable nanocarriers and hydrogels have found widespread use in a variety of biomedical applications such as local and sustained biotherapeutic cargo delivery, and as cell-instructive matrices for tissue engineering. Recent advances in the development and application of recombinant protein-based materials as injectable platforms under physiological conditions have made them useful platforms for the development of nanoparticles and tissue engineering matrices, which are reviewed in this work. Protein-engineered biomaterials are highly customizable, and they provide distinctly tunable rheological properties, encapsulation efficiencies, and delivery profiles. In particular, the key advantages of emerging technologies which harness the stimuli-responsive properties of recombinant polypeptide-based materials are highlighted in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristobal Garcia Garcia
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Sai S Patkar
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Ramadan Abouomar
- 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; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19176, USA.
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29
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Qiu Y, Lin Y, Zeng B, Qin P, Yi Z, Zhang G. Revealing the role of tunable amino acid residues in elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs)-mediated biomimetic silicification. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 227:105-112. [PMID: 36539170 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.12.152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are attractive materials for the green preparation of silica nanoparticles via biomimetic silicification. However, the critical factors affecting the ELP-mediated silicification remain unclear. Herein, the role of tunable amino acid residues of ELPs in silicification was studied using three ELPs (ELPs[V9F-40], ELPs[KV8F-40], and ELPs[K5V4F-40]) and their fusion proteins (ELPs[V9F-40]-SpyCatcher, ELPs[KV8F-40]-SpyCatcher, and ELPs[K5V4F-40]-SpyCatcher) with different contents of lysine residues. Bioinformatics methods were employed for the first time to reveal the key physicochemical parameters correlated with silicification. The specific activity of ELPs was increased with the promotion of lysine content with a high correlation coefficient (R = 0.899). Furthermore, exogenous acidic protein SpyCatcher would hinder the interactions between the silica precursors and ELPs, leading to the significantly decrease in specific activity. The isoelectric point (pI) of ELPs presented the highest correlation to silicification with a coefficient of 0.963. The charges of the ELPs [K5V4F-40] at different pH were calculated based on the sequence or structure. Interestingly, the excellent correlation between charges based on structure and specific activity was obtained. Collectively, the novel methods developed here may pave a new way for rational design of ELPs or other peptides for efficient and green preparation of silica nanomaterials for biomedicine, biocatalysis, and biosensor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Qiu
- Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Suzhou Polytechnic Institute of Agriculture, Suzhou 215008, Jiangsu, China; Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, Fujian, China
| | - Yuanqing Lin
- College of Environment and Public Health, Xiamen Huaxia University, Xiamen 361024, Fujian, China.
| | - Bo Zeng
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, Fujian, China; National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Peiliang Qin
- Department of Science and Technology Industry Division, Suzhou Polytechnical Institute of Agriculture, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215008, China
| | - Zhiwei Yi
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, Fujian, China; Technology Innovation Center for Exploitation of Marine Biological Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Guangya Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, Fujian, China.
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30
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Baruch Leshem A, Sloan-Dennison S, Massarano T, Ben-David S, Graham D, Faulds K, Gottlieb HE, Chill JH, Lampel A. Biomolecular condensates formed by designer minimalistic peptides. Nat Commun 2023; 14:421. [PMID: 36702825 PMCID: PMC9879991 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36060-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Inspired by the role of intracellular liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in formation of membraneless organelles, there is great interest in developing dynamic compartments formed by LLPS of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) or short peptides. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of biomolecular condensates have not been fully elucidated, rendering on-demand design of synthetic condensates with tailored physico-chemical functionalities a significant challenge. To address this need, here we design a library of LLPS-promoting peptide building blocks composed of various assembly domains. We show that the LLPS propensity, dynamics, and encapsulation efficiency of compartments can be tuned by changes to the peptide composition. Specifically, with the aid of Raman and NMR spectroscopy, we show that interactions between arginine and aromatic amino acids underlie droplet formation, and that both intra- and intermolecular interactions dictate droplet dynamics. The resulting sequence-structure-function correlation could support the future development of compartments for a variety of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avigail Baruch Leshem
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Sian Sloan-Dennison
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Technology and Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, 99 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1RD, UK
| | - Tlalit Massarano
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Shavit Ben-David
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Duncan Graham
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Technology and Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, 99 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1RD, UK
| | - Karen Faulds
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Technology and Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, 99 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1RD, UK
| | - Hugo E Gottlieb
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel
| | - Jordan H Chill
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel.
| | - Ayala Lampel
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel. .,Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel. .,Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel. .,Center for the Physics and Chemistry of Living Systems Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel.
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31
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López
Barreiro D, Folch-Fortuny A, Muntz I, Thies JC, Sagt CM, Koenderink GH. Sequence Control of the Self-Assembly of Elastin-Like Polypeptides into Hydrogels with Bespoke Viscoelastic and Structural Properties. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:489-501. [PMID: 36516874 PMCID: PMC9832484 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The biofabrication of structural proteins with controllable properties via amino acid sequence design is interesting for biomedicine and biotechnology, yet a complete framework that connects amino acid sequence to material properties is unavailable, despite great progress to establish design rules for synthesizing peptides and proteins with specific conformations (e.g., unfolded, helical, β-sheets, or β-turns) and intermolecular interactions (e.g., amphipathic peptides or hydrophobic domains). Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations can help in developing such a framework, but the lack of a standardized way of interpreting the outcome of these simulations hinders their predictive value for the design of de novo structural proteins. To address this, we developed a model that unambiguously classifies a library of de novo elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) with varying numbers and locations of hydrophobic/hydrophilic and physical/chemical-cross-linking blocks according to their thermoresponsiveness at physiological temperature. Our approach does not require long simulation times or advanced sampling methods. Instead, we apply (un)supervised data analysis methods to a data set of molecular properties from relatively short MD simulations (150 ns). We also experimentally investigate hydrogels of those ELPs from the library predicted to be thermoresponsive, revealing several handles to tune their mechanical and structural properties: chain hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity or block distribution control the viscoelasticity and thermoresponsiveness, whereas ELP concentration defines the network permeability. Our findings provide an avenue to accelerate the design of de novo ELPs with bespoke phase behavior and material properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego López
Barreiro
- DSM
Biosciences and Process Innovation, DSM, Alexander Fleminglaan 1, 2613 AXDelft, The Netherlands
| | - Abel Folch-Fortuny
- DSM
Biodata and Translation, DSM, Alexander Fleminglaan 1, 2613 AXDelft, The Netherlands
| | - Iain Muntz
- Department
of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZDelft, The Netherlands
| | - Jens C. Thies
- DSM
Biomedical, DSM, Urmonderbaan
22, 6160 BB, Geleen, The Netherlands,E-mail:
| | - Cees M.J. Sagt
- DSM
Biosciences and Process Innovation, DSM, Alexander Fleminglaan 1, 2613 AXDelft, The Netherlands,E-mail:
| | - Gijsje H. Koenderink
- Department
of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZDelft, The Netherlands,E-mail:
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32
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Ginell GM, Holehouse AS. An Introduction to the Stickers-and-Spacers Framework as Applied to Biomolecular Condensates. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2563:95-116. [PMID: 36227469 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2663-4_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Cellular organization is determined by a combination of membrane-bound and membrane-less biomolecular assemblies that range from clusters of tens of molecules to micrometer-sized cellular bodies. Over the last decade, membrane-less assemblies have come to be referred to as biomolecular condensates, reflecting their ability to condense specific molecules with respect to the remainder of the cell. In many cases, the physics of phase transitions provides a conceptual framework and a mathematical toolkit to describe the assembly, maintenance, and dissolution of biomolecular condensates. Among the various quantitative and qualitative models applied to understand intracellular phase transitions, the stickers-and-spacers framework offers an intuitive yet rigorous means to map biomolecular sequences and structure to the driving forces needed for higher-order assembly. This chapter introduces the fundamental concepts behind the stickers-and-spacers model, considers its application to different biological systems, and discusses limitations and misconceptions around the model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garrett M Ginell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Science & Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Alex S Holehouse
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Center for Science & Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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33
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Katzir I, Haimov E, Lampel A. Tuning the Dynamics of Viral-Factories-Inspired Compartments Formed by Peptide-RNA Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2206371. [PMID: 36134527 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202206371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Viral factories are intracellular microcompartments formed by mammalian viruses in their host cells, and contain necessary machinery for viral genome replication, capsid assembly, and maturation, thus serving as "factories" for formation of new viral particles. Recent evidence suggests that these compartments are formed by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of viral proteins and nucleic acids and present dynamic properties. In this work, inspired by the remarkable functionalities of viral factories, dynamic compartments that are formed by complexation between a minimalistic, disordered peptide and RNA are designed. By systematic studies using sequence variants it is shown that the material properties of the compartments can be modulated by changes to the peptide sequence, at the single amino acid level. Moreover, by taking this approach to the next step, liquid compartments with light-induced tunable dynamics are developed. The results demonstrate that the material properties of liquid droplets can be temporally regulated by increasing peptide polarity and charge, and that these changes can be further utilized for controlled partitioning and release of payloads from the compartments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itai Katzir
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Elvira Haimov
- Blavatnik Center for Drug Discovery, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Ayala Lampel
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Center for the Physics and Chemistry of Living Systems, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
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34
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Hu S, Zhu D, Li Z, Cheng K. Detachable Microneedle Patches Deliver Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Factor-Loaded Nanoparticles for Cardiac Repair. ACS NANO 2022; 16:15935-15945. [PMID: 36148975 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c03060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Intramyocardial injection is a direct and efficient approach to deliver therapeutics to the heart. However, the injected volume must be very limited, and there is injury to the injection site and leakage issues during heart beating. Herein, we developed a detachable therapeutic microneedle (MN) patch, which is comprised of mesenchymal stromal cell-secreted factors (MSCF)-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (NP) in MN tips made of elastin-like polypeptide gel, with a resolvable non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid (HA) gel as the MN base. The tips can be firmly inserted into the infarcted myocardium after base removal, and no suture is needed. In isolated neonatal rat cardiac cells, we found that the cellular uptake of MSCF-NP in the cardiomyocytes was higher than in cardiac fibroblasts. MSCF-NP promoted the proliferation of injured cardiomyocytes. In a rat model of myocardial infarction, MN-MSCF-NP treatment reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis, restored myocardium volume, and reduced fibrosis during the cardiac remodeling process. Our work demonstrated the therapeutic potential of MN to deliver MSCF directly into the myocardium and provides a promising treatment approach for cardiac diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiqi Hu
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607, United States
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States, and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Dashuai Zhu
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607, United States
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States, and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Zhenhua Li
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607, United States
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States, and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Ke Cheng
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607, United States
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States, and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
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35
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Yao D, Wang T, Zhang X, Wang Y. High Concentration Crystalline Silk Fibroin Solution for Silk-Based Materials. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 15:6930. [PMID: 36234272 PMCID: PMC9571966 DOI: 10.3390/ma15196930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
As a functional biomaterial, silk fibroin has been widely used in drug release, cell encapsulation and tissue regeneration. To meet the requirements of these applications, the properties of silk fibroin-based materials should be finely tunable. Many useful properties of biomaterials emerge from the collective interactions among ordered and disordered domains. Thus, increasing subtle control of silk hierarchical structures is required. As a characteristic of ordered silk fibroin, crystalline silk fibroin (CSF) is an important part of silk fibroin-based biomaterials, but the preparation of CSF solution, especially high concentration CSF solution, remains a challenge. Here, a solution composed of β-sheet-rich silk fibroin is reported. These CSF were obtained by the sonication of silk fibroin hydrogel, destroying the hydrogel network, and turning silk fibroin hydrogels into CSF solution. These β-sheet-rich CSF solutions were stable enough for several days or even weeks. In addition, they were typically ordered crystalline domains, which could be mixed with disordered domains and fabricated into porous scaffolds, films, hydrogels and other silk fibroin-based scaffolds with different properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danyu Yao
- School of Automation, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Ting Wang
- School of Automation, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Xiaoli Zhang
- School of Automation, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China
- School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Yuqing Wang
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, China
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36
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Liquid to solid transition of elastin condensates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2202240119. [PMID: 36067308 PMCID: PMC9477396 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2202240119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation of tropoelastin has long been considered to be an important early step in the complex process of elastin fiber assembly in the body and has inspired the development of elastin-like peptides with a wide range of industrial and biomedical applications. Despite decades of study, the material state of the condensed liquid phase of elastin and its subsequent maturation remain poorly understood. Here, using a model minielastin that mimics the alternating domain structure of full-length tropoelastin, we examine the elastin liquid phase. We combine differential interference contrast (DIC), fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy with particle-tracking microrheology to resolve the material transition occurring within elastin liquids over time in the absence of exogenous cross-linking. We find that this transition is accompanied by an intermediate stage marked by the coexistence of insoluble solid and dynamic liquid phases giving rise to significant spatial heterogeneities in material properties. We further demonstrate that varying the length of the terminal hydrophobic domains of minielastins can tune the maturation process. This work not only resolves an important step in the hierarchical assembly process of elastogenesis but further contributes mechanistic insight into the diverse repertoire of protein condensate maturation pathways with emerging importance across biology.
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37
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Garabedian MV, Su Z, Dabdoub J, Tong M, Deiters A, Hammer DA, Good MC. Protein Condensate Formation via Controlled Multimerization of Intrinsically Disordered Sequences. Biochemistry 2022; 61:2470-2481. [PMID: 35918061 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Many proteins harboring low complexity or intrinsically disordered sequences (IDRs) are capable of undergoing liquid-liquid phase separation to form mesoscale condensates that function as biochemical niches with the ability to concentrate or sequester macromolecules and regulate cellular activity. Engineered disordered proteins have been used to generate programmable synthetic membraneless organelles in cells. Phase separation is governed by the strength of interactions among polypeptides with multivalency enhancing phase separation at lower concentrations. Previously, we and others demonstrated enzymatic control of IDR valency from multivalent precursors to dissolve condensed phases. Here, we develop noncovalent strategies to multimerize an individual IDR, the RGG domain of LAF-1, using protein interaction domains to regulate condensate formation in vitro and in living cells. First, we characterize modular dimerization of RGG domains at either terminus using cognate high-affinity coiled-coil pairs to form stable condensates in vitro. Second, we demonstrate temporal control over phase separation of RGG domains fused to FRB and FKBP in the presence of dimerizer. Further, using a photocaged dimerizer, we achieve optically induced condensation both in cell-sized emulsions and within live cells. Collectively, these modular tools allow multiple strategies to promote phase separation of a common core IDR for tunable control of condensate assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikael V Garabedian
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Zhihui Su
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Jorge Dabdoub
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Michelle Tong
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Alexander Deiters
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
| | - Daniel A Hammer
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Matthew C Good
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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38
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Suyama K, Shimizu M, Maeda I, Nose T. Flexible customization of the self-assembling abilities of short elastin-like peptide Fn analogs by substituting N-terminal amino acids. Biopolymers 2022; 113:e23521. [PMID: 35830538 DOI: 10.1002/bip.23521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Elastin-like peptides (ELPs) are thermoresponsive biopolymers inspired by the characteristic repetitive sequences of natural elastin. As ELPs exhibit temperature-dependent reversible self-assembly, they are expected to be biocompatible thermoresponsive materials for drug delivery carriers. One of the most widely studied ELPs in this field is the repetitive pentapeptide, (VPGXG)n . We previously reported that phenylalanine-containing ELP (Fn) analogs, in which the former Val residue of the repetitive sequence (VPGVG)n is replaced by Phe, show coacervation with a short chain length (n = 5). Owing to their short sequences, Fn analogs are easily modified in amino acid sequences via simple chemical synthesis, and are useful for investigating the relationship between peptide sequences and temperature responsiveness. In this study, we developed Fn analogs by replacing Phe residue(s) with other amino acids or introducing another amino acid at the N-terminus. The temperature responsiveness of the Fn analogs changed drastically with the substitution of a single Phe residue, suggesting that aromatic amino acids play an important role in their self-assembly. In addition, the self-assembling ability of Fn was enhanced by increasing the bulkiness of the N-terminal amino acids. Therefore, the N-terminal residue was considered to be important for hydrophobicity-induced intermolecular interactions between the peptides during coacervation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keitaro Suyama
- Faculty of Arts and Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Marin Shimizu
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty and Graduate School of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Iori Maeda
- Department of Physics and Information Technology, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Iizuka, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takeru Nose
- Faculty of Arts and Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Department of Chemistry, Faculty and Graduate School of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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39
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Kar M, Dar F, Welsh TJ, Vogel LT, Kühnemuth R, Majumdar A, Krainer G, Franzmann TM, Alberti S, Seidel CAM, Knowles TPJ, Hyman AA, Pappu RV. Phase-separating RNA-binding proteins form heterogeneous distributions of clusters in subsaturated solutions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2202222119. [PMID: 35787038 DOI: 10.1101/2022.02.03.478969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Macromolecular phase separation is thought to be one of the processes that drives the formation of membraneless biomolecular condensates in cells. The dynamics of phase separation are thought to follow the tenets of classical nucleation theory, and, therefore, subsaturated solutions should be devoid of clusters with more than a few molecules. We tested this prediction using in vitro biophysical studies to characterize subsaturated solutions of phase-separating RNA-binding proteins with intrinsically disordered prion-like domains and RNA-binding domains. Surprisingly, and in direct contradiction to expectations from classical nucleation theory, we find that subsaturated solutions are characterized by the presence of heterogeneous distributions of clusters. The distributions of cluster sizes, which are dominated by small species, shift continuously toward larger sizes as protein concentrations increase and approach the saturation concentration. As a result, many of the clusters encompass tens to hundreds of molecules, while less than 1% of the solutions are mesoscale species that are several hundred nanometers in diameter. We find that cluster formation in subsaturated solutions and phase separation in supersaturated solutions are strongly coupled via sequence-encoded interactions. We also find that cluster formation and phase separation can be decoupled using solutes as well as specific sets of mutations. Our findings, which are concordant with predictions for associative polymers, implicate an interplay between networks of sequence-specific and solubility-determining interactions that, respectively, govern cluster formation in subsaturated solutions and the saturation concentrations above which phase separation occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mrityunjoy Kar
- Max Planck Institute of Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Furqan Dar
- Department of Physics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Timothy J Welsh
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Laura T Vogel
- Department of Molecular Physical Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ralf Kühnemuth
- Department of Molecular Physical Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Anupa Majumdar
- Max Planck Institute of Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Georg Krainer
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Titus M Franzmann
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Simon Alberti
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Claus A M Seidel
- Department of Molecular Physical Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, CB3 0HE Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony A Hyman
- Max Planck Institute of Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Rohit V Pappu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Science & Engineering of Living Systems, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
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40
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Kar M, Dar F, Welsh TJ, Vogel LT, Kühnemuth R, Majumdar A, Krainer G, Franzmann TM, Alberti S, Seidel CAM, Knowles TPJ, Hyman AA, Pappu RV. Phase-separating RNA-binding proteins form heterogeneous distributions of clusters in subsaturated solutions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2202222119. [PMID: 35787038 PMCID: PMC9282234 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2202222119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Macromolecular phase separation is thought to be one of the processes that drives the formation of membraneless biomolecular condensates in cells. The dynamics of phase separation are thought to follow the tenets of classical nucleation theory, and, therefore, subsaturated solutions should be devoid of clusters with more than a few molecules. We tested this prediction using in vitro biophysical studies to characterize subsaturated solutions of phase-separating RNA-binding proteins with intrinsically disordered prion-like domains and RNA-binding domains. Surprisingly, and in direct contradiction to expectations from classical nucleation theory, we find that subsaturated solutions are characterized by the presence of heterogeneous distributions of clusters. The distributions of cluster sizes, which are dominated by small species, shift continuously toward larger sizes as protein concentrations increase and approach the saturation concentration. As a result, many of the clusters encompass tens to hundreds of molecules, while less than 1% of the solutions are mesoscale species that are several hundred nanometers in diameter. We find that cluster formation in subsaturated solutions and phase separation in supersaturated solutions are strongly coupled via sequence-encoded interactions. We also find that cluster formation and phase separation can be decoupled using solutes as well as specific sets of mutations. Our findings, which are concordant with predictions for associative polymers, implicate an interplay between networks of sequence-specific and solubility-determining interactions that, respectively, govern cluster formation in subsaturated solutions and the saturation concentrations above which phase separation occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mrityunjoy Kar
- Max Planck Institute of Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Furqan Dar
- Department of Physics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Timothy J. Welsh
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Laura T. Vogel
- Department of Molecular Physical Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ralf Kühnemuth
- Department of Molecular Physical Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Anupa Majumdar
- Max Planck Institute of Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Georg Krainer
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Titus M. Franzmann
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Simon Alberti
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Claus A. M. Seidel
- Department of Molecular Physical Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Tuomas P. J. Knowles
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, CB3 0HE Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony A. Hyman
- Max Planck Institute of Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Rohit V. Pappu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Science & Engineering of Living Systems, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
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41
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Mondal S, Cui Q. Coacervation of poly-electrolytes in the presence of lipid bilayers: mutual alteration of structure and morphology. Chem Sci 2022; 13:7933-7946. [PMID: 35865903 PMCID: PMC9258347 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc02013k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Many intrinsically disordered peptides have been shown to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation and form complex coacervates, which play various regulatory roles in the cell. Recent experimental studies found that such phase separation processes may also occur at the lipid membrane surface and help organize biomolecules during signaling events; in some cases, phase separation of proteins at the membrane surface was also observed to lead to significant remodeling of the membrane morphology. The molecular mechanisms that govern the interactions between complex coacervates and lipid membranes and the impacts of such interactions on their structure and morphology, however, remain unclear. Here we study the coacervation of poly-glutamate (E30) and poly-lysine (K30) in the presence of lipid bilayers of different compositions. We carry out explicit-solvent coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations by using the MARTINI (v3.0) force-field. We find that more than 20% anionic lipids are required for the coacervate to form stable contact with the bilayer. Upon wetting, the coacervate induces negative curvature to the bilayer and facilitates local lipid demixing, without any peptide insertion. The magnitude of negative curvature, extent of lipid demixing, and asphericity of the coacervate increase with the concentration of anionic lipids. Overall, we observe a decrease in the number of contacts among the polyelectrolytes as the droplet spreads over the bilayer. Therefore, unlike previous suggestions, interactions among polyelectrolytes do not constitute a driving force for the membrane bending upon wetting by the coacervate. Rather, analysis of interaction energy components suggests that bending of the membrane is favored by enhanced interactions between polyelectrolytes with lipids as well as with counterions. Kinetic studies reveal that, at the studied polyelectrolyte concentrations, the coacervate formation precedes bilayer wetting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayantan Mondal
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University 590 Commonwealth Avenue Boston MA 02215 USA (+1)-617-353-6189
| | - Qiang Cui
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University 590 Commonwealth Avenue Boston MA 02215 USA (+1)-617-353-6189
- Department of Physics, Boston University 590 Commonwealth Avenue Boston MA 02215 USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University 44 Cummington Mall Boston MA 02215 USA
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42
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Mittag T, Pappu RV. A conceptual framework for understanding phase separation and addressing open questions and challenges. Mol Cell 2022; 82:2201-2214. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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43
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Liu Y, Zhao C, Chen C. Chirality-Governed UCST Behavior in Polypeptides. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yali Liu
- Ningbo Key Laboratory of Specialty Polymers, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Chuanzhuang Zhao
- Ningbo Key Laboratory of Specialty Polymers, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Chongyi Chen
- Ningbo Key Laboratory of Specialty Polymers, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
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44
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Li Z, Li G, Xu J, Li C, Han S, Zhang C, Wu P, Lin Y, Wang C, Zhang J, Li X. Hydrogel Transformed from Nanoparticles for Prevention of Tissue Injury and Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2109178. [PMID: 35195940 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202109178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Functional hydrogels responsive to physiological and pathological signals have extensive biomedical applications owing to their multiple advanced attributes. Herein, engineering of functional hydrogels is reported via transformable nanoparticles in response to the physiologically and pathologically acidic microenvironment. These nanoparticles are assembled by a multivalent hydrophobic, pH-responsive cyclodextrin host material and a multivalent hydrophilic guest macromolecule. Driven by protons, the pH-responsive host-guest nanoparticles can be transformed into hydrogel, resulting from proton-triggered hydrolysis of the host material, generation of a hydrophilic multivalent host compound, and simultaneously enhanced inclusion interactions between host and guest molecules. By in situ forming a hydrogel barrier, the orally delivered transformable nanoparticles protect mice from ethanol- or drug-induced gastric injury. In addition, this type of nanoparticles can serve as responsive and transformable nanovehicles for therapeutic agents to achieve triggerable and sustained drug delivery, thereby effectively treating typical inflammatory diseases, including periodontitis and arthritis in rats. With combined advantages of nanoparticles and hydrogels, together with their good in vivo safety, the engineered transformable nanoparticles hold great promise in tissue injury protection and site-specific/local delivery of molecular and cellular therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zimeng Li
- Stomatology Hospital, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, P. R. China
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, P. R. China
| | - Jiajia Xu
- Stomatology Hospital, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, P. R. China
| | - Chenwen Li
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, P. R. China
| | - Songling Han
- State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, P. R. China
| | - Chunfan Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, P. R. China
| | - Peng Wu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, P. R. China
- College of Pharmacy and Medical Technology, Hanzhong Vocational and Technical College, Hanzhong, Shaanxi, 723000, P. R. China
| | - Yongyao Lin
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, P. R. China
| | - Chenping Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, P. R. China
| | - Jianxiang Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, P. R. China
| | - Xiaodong Li
- Stomatology Hospital, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, P. R. China
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45
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Seim I, Posey AE, Snead WT, Stormo BM, Klotsa D, Pappu RV, Gladfelter AS. Dilute phase oligomerization can oppose phase separation and modulate material properties of a ribonucleoprotein condensate. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2120799119. [PMID: 35333653 PMCID: PMC9060498 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2120799119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
SignificanceA large subclass of biomolecular condensates are linked to RNA regulation and are known as ribonucleoprotein (RNP) bodies. While extensive work has identified driving forces for biomolecular condensate formation, relatively little is known about forces that oppose assembly. Here, using a fungal RNP protein, Whi3, we show that a portion of its intrinsically disordered, glutamine-rich region modulates phase separation by forming transient alpha helical structures that promote the assembly of dilute phase oligomers. These oligomers detour Whi3 proteins from condensates, thereby impacting the driving forces for phase separation, the protein-to-RNA ratio in condensates, and the material properties of condensates. Our findings show how nanoscale conformational and oligomerization equilibria can influence mesoscale phase equilibria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Seim
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Department of Applied Physical Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Ammon E. Posey
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Science & Engineering of Living Systems, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Wilton T. Snead
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Benjamin M. Stormo
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Daphne Klotsa
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Department of Applied Physical Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Rohit V. Pappu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Science & Engineering of Living Systems, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Amy S. Gladfelter
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
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46
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Klass SH, Gleason JM, Omole AO, Onoa B, Bustamante CJ, Francis MB. Preparation of Bioderived and Biodegradable Surfactants Based on an Intrinsically Disordered Protein Sequence. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:1462-1470. [PMID: 35238203 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c00051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Surfactants, block copolymers, and other types of micellar systems are used in a wide variety of biomedical and industrial processes. However, most commonly used surfactants are synthetically derived and pose environmental and toxicological concerns throughout their product life cycle. Because of this, bioderived and biodegradable surfactants are promising alternatives. For biosurfactants to be implemented industrially, they need to be produced on a large scale and also have tailorable properties that match those afforded by the polymerization of synthetic surfactants. In this paper, a scalable and versatile production method for biosurfactants based on a hydrophilic intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) sequence with a genetically engineered hydrophobic domain is used to study variables that impact their physicochemical and self-assembling properties. These amphiphilic sequences were found to self-assemble into micelles over a broad range of temperatures, pH values, and ionic strengths. To investigate the role of the IDP hydrophilic domain on self-assembly, variants with increased overall charges and systematically decreased IDP domain lengths were produced and examined for their sizes, morphologies, and critical micelle concentrations (CMCs). The results of these studies indicate that decreasing the length of the IDP domain and consequently the molecular weight and hydrophilic fraction leads to smaller micelles. In addition, significantly increasing the amount of charged residues in the hydrophilic IDP domain results in micelles of similar sizes but with higher CMC values. This represents an initial step in developing a quantitative model for the future engineering of biosurfactants based on this IDP sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Klass
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Jamie M Gleason
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Anthony O Omole
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Bibiana Onoa
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Carlos J Bustamante
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.,Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.,Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Matthew B Francis
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.,Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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47
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Yi J, Liu Q, Zhang Q, Chew TG, Ouyang H. Modular protein engineering-based biomaterials for skeletal tissue engineering. Biomaterials 2022; 282:121414. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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48
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Katyal P, Hettinghouse A, Meleties M, Hasan S, Chen C, Cui M, Sun G, Menon R, Lin B, Regatte R, Montclare JK, Liu CJ. Injectable recombinant block polymer gel for sustained delivery of therapeutic protein in post traumatic osteoarthritis. Biomaterials 2022; 281:121370. [PMID: 35032910 PMCID: PMC9055922 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Protein-based biomaterials offer several advantages over synthetic materials, owing to their unique stimuli-responsive properties, biocompatibility and modular nature. Here, we demonstrate that E5C, a recombinant protein block polymer, consisting of five repeats of elastin like polypeptide (E) and a coiled-coil domain of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (C), is capable of forming a porous networked gel at physiological temperature, making it an excellent candidate for injectable biomaterials. Combination of E5C with Atsttrin, a chondroprotective engineered derivative of anti-inflammatory growth factor progranulin, provides a unique biochemical and biomechanical environment to protect against post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) onset and progression. E5C gel was demonstrated to provide prolonged release of Atsttrin and inhibit chondrocyte catabolism while facilitating anabolic signaling in vitro. We also provide in vivo evidence that prophylactic and therapeutic application of Atsttrin-loaded E5C gels protected against PTOA onset and progression in a rabbit anterior cruciate ligament transection model. Collectively, we have developed a unique protein-based gel capable of minimally invasive, sustained delivery of prospective therapeutics, particularly the progranulin-derivative Atsttrin, for therapeutic application in OA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Katyal
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, United States
| | - Aubryanna Hettinghouse
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10003, United States
| | - Michael Meleties
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, United States
| | - Sadaf Hasan
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10003, United States
| | - Changhong Chen
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10003, United States
| | - Min Cui
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10003, United States
| | - Guodong Sun
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10003, United States
| | - Rajiv Menon
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, United States
| | - Bonnie Lin
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, United States
| | - Ravinder Regatte
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, United States
| | - Jin Kim Montclare
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, United States; Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York 10003, United States; Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York 10016, United States; Department of Biomaterials, NYU College of Dentistry, New York, NY, 10010, United States.
| | - Chuan-Ju Liu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10003, United States; Department of Cell Biology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, United States.
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49
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Bremer A, Farag M, Borcherds WM, Peran I, Martin EW, Pappu RV, Mittag T. Deciphering how naturally occurring sequence features impact the phase behaviours of disordered prion-like domains. Nat Chem 2022; 14:196-207. [PMID: 34931046 DOI: 10.1101/2021.01.01.425046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Prion-like low-complexity domains (PLCDs) have distinctive sequence grammars that determine their driving forces for phase separation. Here we uncover the physicochemical underpinnings of how evolutionarily conserved compositional biases influence the phase behaviour of PLCDs. We interpret our results in the context of the stickers-and-spacers model for the phase separation of associative polymers. We find that tyrosine is a stronger sticker than phenylalanine, whereas arginine is a context-dependent auxiliary sticker. In contrast, lysine weakens sticker-sticker interactions. Increasing the net charge per residue destabilizes phase separation while also weakening the strong coupling between single-chain contraction in dilute phases and multichain interactions that give rise to phase separation. Finally, glycine and serine residues act as non-equivalent spacers, and thus make the glycine versus serine contents an important determinant of the driving forces for phase separation. The totality of our results leads to a set of rules that enable comparative estimates of composition-specific driving forces for PLCD phase separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Bremer
- Department of Structural Biology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Mina Farag
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Science & Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Wade M Borcherds
- Department of Structural Biology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Ivan Peran
- Department of Structural Biology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Erik W Martin
- Department of Structural Biology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Rohit V Pappu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Science & Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Tanja Mittag
- Department of Structural Biology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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50
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Ronceray P, Zhang Y, Liu X, Wingreen NS. Stoichiometry Controls the Dynamics of Liquid Condensates of Associative Proteins. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2022; 128:038102. [PMID: 35119898 PMCID: PMC10497325 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.128.038102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Multivalent associative proteins with strong complementary interactions play a crucial role in phase separation of intracellular liquid condensates. We study the internal dynamics of such "bond-network" condensates comprising two complementary proteins via scaling analysis and molecular dynamics. We find that when stoichiometry is balanced, relaxation slows down dramatically due to a scarcity of alternative binding partners following bond breakage. This microscopic slow-down strongly affects the bulk diffusivity, viscosity, and mixing, which provides a means to experimentally test this prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Ronceray
- Center for the Physics of Biological Function, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CINAM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | - Yaojun Zhang
- Center for the Physics of Biological Function, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Xichong Liu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Ned S. Wingreen
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
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