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Abstract
INTRODUCTION : Peptide-based supramolecular self-assembly has been demonstrated to be a flexible approach for the fabrication of programmable de novo nanodrugs by employing synergistic or reciprocal intermolecular non-covalent interactions; this class of nanomaterials holds significant promise for clinical translation, especially as cancer theranostics. AREAS COVERED : In this review, we describe the concept of cancer theranostic drug assembly by employing non-covalent interactions. That is, molecular drugs are formulated into nanoscale and even microscale architectures by peptide-modulated self-assembly. A series of peptide-based supramolecular assembly drugs are discussed, with an emphasis on the relation between structural feature and theranostic performance. EXPERT OPINION : Molecular design, manipulation of non-covalent interactions and elucidation of structure-function relationships not only facilitate the implementation of supramolecular self-assembly principles in drug development, but also provide a new means for advancing anticancer nanostructured drugs toward clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shukun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Beijing 100190, China.,Bio-Organic Chemistry, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Ruirui Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Beijing 100190, China.,School of Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jan C M van Hest
- Bio-Organic Chemistry, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Xuehai Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Beijing 100190, China.,School of Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,Center for Mesoscience, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
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2
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Abstract
Pathological stimuli-responsive self-assembly of peptide nanofibers enables selective accumulation of imaging agent cargos in the stimuli-rich regions of interest. It provides enhanced imaging signals, biocompatibility, and tumor/disease accessibility and retention, thereby promoting smart, precise, and sensitive tumor/disease imaging both in vitro and in vivo. Considering the remarkable significance and recent encouraging breakthroughs of self-assembled peptide nanofibers in tumor/disease diagnosis, this reivew is herein proposed. We emphasize the recent advances particularly in the past three years, and provide an outlook in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaochu Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou Road, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Xiaoyang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou Road, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Gaolin Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou Road, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Xianbao Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou Road, Nanjing 210096, China.
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3
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d'Orlyé F, Trapiella-Alfonso L, Lescot C, Pinvidic M, Doan BT, Varenne A. Synthesis, Characterization and Evaluation of Peptide Nanostructures for Biomedical Applications. Molecules 2021; 26:4587. [PMID: 34361740 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26154587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a challenging need for the development of new alternative nanostructures that can allow the coupling and/or encapsulation of therapeutic/diagnostic molecules while reducing their toxicity and improving their circulation and in-vivo targeting. Among the new materials using natural building blocks, peptides have attracted significant interest because of their simple structure, relative chemical and physical stability, diversity of sequences and forms, their easy functionalization with (bio)molecules and the possibility of synthesizing them in large quantities. A number of them have the ability to self-assemble into nanotubes, -spheres, -vesicles or -rods under mild conditions, which opens up new applications in biology and nanomedicine due to their intrinsic biocompatibility and biodegradability as well as their surface chemical reactivity via amino- and carboxyl groups. In order to obtain nanostructures suitable for biomedical applications, the structure, size, shape and surface chemistry of these nanoplatforms must be optimized. These properties depend directly on the nature and sequence of the amino acids that constitute them. It is therefore essential to control the order in which the amino acids are introduced during the synthesis of short peptide chains and to evaluate their in-vitro and in-vivo physico-chemical properties before testing them for biomedical applications. This review therefore focuses on the synthesis, functionalization and characterization of peptide sequences that can self-assemble to form nanostructures. The synthesis in batch or with new continuous flow and microflow techniques will be described and compared in terms of amino acids sequence, purification processes, functionalization or encapsulation of targeting ligands, imaging probes as well as therapeutic molecules. Their chemical and biological characterization will be presented to evaluate their purity, toxicity, biocompatibility and biodistribution, and some therapeutic properties in vitro and in vivo. Finally, their main applications in the biomedical field will be presented so as to highlight their importance and advantages over classical nanostructures.
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Gallo E, Diaferia C, Rosa E, Smaldone G, Morelli G, Accardo A. Peptide-Based Hydrogels and Nanogels for Delivery of Doxorubicin. Int J Nanomedicine 2021; 16:1617-1630. [PMID: 33688182 PMCID: PMC7935351 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s296272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The clinical use of the antitumoral drug doxorubicin (Dox) is reduced by its dose-limiting toxicity, related to cardiotoxic side effects and myelosuppression. In order to overcome these drawbacks, here we describe the synthesis, the structural characterization and the in vitro cytotoxicity assays of hydrogels (HGs) and nanogels (NGs) based on short peptide sequences loaded with Dox or with its liposomal formulation, Doxil. METHODS Fmoc-FF alone or in combination with (FY)3 or PEG8-(FY)3 peptides, at two different ratios (1/1 and 2/1 v/v), were used for HGs and NGs formulations. HGs were prepared according to the "solvent-switch" method, whereas NGs were obtained through HG submicronition by the top-down methodology in presence of TWEEN®60 and SPAN®60 as stabilizing agents. HGs gelation kinetics were assessed by Circular Dichroism (CD). Stability and size of NGs were studied using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) measurements. Cell viability of empty and filled Dox HGs and NGs was evaluated on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Moreover, cell internalization of the drug was evaluated using immunofluorescence assays. RESULTS Dox filled hydrogels exhibit a high drug loading content (DLC=0.440), without syneresis after 10 days. Gelation kinetics (20-40 min) and the drug release (16-28%) over time of HGs were found dependent on relative peptide composition. Dox filled NGs exhibit a DLC of 0.137 and a low drug release (20-40%) after 72 h. Empty HGs and NGs show a high cell viability (>95%), whereas Dox loaded ones significantly reduce cell viability after 24 h (49-57%) and 72 h (7-25%) of incubation, respectively. Immunofluorescence assays evidenced a different cell localization for Dox delivered through HGs and NGs with respect to the free drug. DISCUSSION A modulation of the Dox release can be obtained by changing the ratios of the peptide components. The different cellular localization of the drug loaded into HGs and NGs suggests an alternative internalization mechanism. The high DLC, the low drug release and preliminary in vitro results suggest a potential employment of peptide-based HGs and NGs as drug delivery tools.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carlo Diaferia
- Department of Pharmacy and Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, 80134, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Rosa
- Department of Pharmacy and Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, 80134, Italy
| | | | - Giancarlo Morelli
- Department of Pharmacy and Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, 80134, Italy
| | - Antonella Accardo
- Department of Pharmacy and Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, 80134, Italy
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Gallo E, Diaferia C, Balasco N, Sibillano T, Roviello V, Giannini C, Vitagliano L, Morelli G, Accardo A. Fabrication of fluorescent nanospheres by heating PEGylated tetratyrosine nanofibers. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2470. [PMID: 33510221 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79396-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Aromatic polypeptides have recently drawn the interest of the research community for their capability to self-assemble into a variety of functional nanostructures. Due to their interesting mechanical, electrical and optical properties, these nanostructures have been proposed as innovative materials in different biomedical, biotechnological and industrial fields. Recently, several efforts have been employed in the development of these innovative materials as nanoscale fluorescence (FL) imaging probes. In this context, we describe the synthesis and the functional properties of a novel fluorescent tyrosine (Tyr, Y)-based nanospheres, obtained by heating at 200 °C a solution of the PEGylated tetra-peptide PEG6-Y4. At room temperature, this peptide self-assembles into not fluorescent low ordered water-soluble fibrillary aggregates. After heating, the aggregation of different polyphenolic species generates Y4-based nanospheres able to emit FL into blue, green and red spectral regions, both in solution and at the solid state. The aggregation features of PEG6-Y4 before and after heating were studied using a set of complementary techniques (Fluorescence, CD, FT-IR, Small and Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering and SEM). After a deep investigation of their optoelectronic properties, these nanospheres could be exploited as promising tools for precise biomedicine in advanced nanomedical technologies (local bioimaging, light diagnostics, therapy, optogenetics and health monitoring).
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Diaferia C, Rosa E, Accardo A, Morelli G. Peptide-based hydrogels as delivery systems for doxorubicin. J Pept Sci 2021; 28:e3301. [PMID: 33491262 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogels (HGs) and nanogels (NGs) have been recently identified as innovative supramolecular materials for many applications in biomedical field such as in tissue engineering, optoelectronic, and local delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Due to their in vivo biocompatibility, synthetic accessibility, low cost, and tunability, peptides have been used as suitable building blocks for preparation of HGs and NGs formulations. Peptide HGs have shown an outstanding potential to deliver small drugs, protein therapeutics, or diagnostic probes, maintaining the efficacy of their loaded molecules, preventing degradation phenomena, and responding to external physicochemical stimuli. In this review, we discuss the possible use of peptide-based HGs and NGs as vehicles for the delivery of the anticancer drug doxorubicin (Dox). This anthracycline is clinically used for leukemia, stomach, lung, ovarian, breast, and bladder cancer therapy. The loading of Dox into supramolecular systems (liposomes, micelles, hydrogels, and nanogels) allows reducing its cardiotoxicity. According to a primary sequence classification of the constituent peptide, doxorubicin-loaded systems are here classified in short and ultra-short peptide-based HGs, RGD, or RADA-peptide-based HGs and peptide-based NGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Diaferia
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, 80134, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Rosa
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, 80134, Italy
| | - Antonella Accardo
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, 80134, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Morelli
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, 80134, Italy
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7
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Tomizaki K, Iori T, Fukushima H, Nakabayashi Y, Matsumoto Y, Imai T. Tandem-Homodimer of a β-Sheet-Forming Short Peptide Inhibits Random-to-β Structural Transition of Its Original Monomer. Processes (Basel) 2020; 8:1421. [DOI: 10.3390/pr8111421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an increasing interest in designing fibrillogenesis modulators for treating amyloid β (Aβ)-peptide-associated diseases. The use of Aβ fragment peptides and their derivatives, as well as nonpeptidyl natural products, is one promising approach to prevent Aβ fibrillation. In this study, we demonstrate that tandem-homodimers (TDs) of a β-sheet-forming short peptide in which the amino acid sequence is duplicated in series and joined via an amino alkanoic acid linker of different chain lengths, preventing the random-to-β structural transition of the original monomer. Ape5-TD, containing 5-amino pentanoate, most potently prevented this transition for at least five days by generating disordered aggregates with reduced tryptic stability. The linkers in the TDs generated this inhibitory activity, probably due to their bent conformations and hydrophobicity, appropriate for accommodating and twisting the monomers, resulting in irregular arrangements of the peptides. The present study could allow the design of a new class of protein/peptide fibrillogenesis modulators.
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Makinde ZO, van der Heijden NJ, Domigan LJ, McGillivray DJ, Williams DE. Aligned Assembly in a 2-D Gel of a Water-Soluble Peptide. Langmuir 2020; 36:11292-11302. [PMID: 32882136 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c01944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate the assembly of a compact, gel-like Langmuir-Blodgett film of rods formed by self-assembly of a β-sheet-forming water-soluble peptide, Ac-IKHLSVN-NH2, at the surface of aqueous electrolytes. We characterize surface pressure hysteresis and demonstrate shear stiffening of the surface caused by area cycling, which we interpret as due to rearrangement and alignment of the rods. We show strong effects of the electrolyte on the assembly of the elementary rods, which can be related to the Hofmeister series and interpreted by effects on the interaction energies mediated by ions and water. Formation of β-sheet structures and assembly of these into surface-segregated semicrystalline gels was strongly promoted by ammonium sulfate electrolyte. With ammonium sulfate electrolyte as subphase for Langmuir-Blodgett film deposition, shear stiffening by surface area cycling resulted in very compact films on transfer to a substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zainab O Makinde
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Nadine J van der Heijden
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Laura J Domigan
- MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Duncan J McGillivray
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - David E Williams
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
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Diaferia C, Netti F, Ghosh M, Sibillano T, Giannini C, Morelli G, Adler-Abramovich L, Accardo A. Bi-functional peptide-based 3D hydrogel-scaffolds. Soft Matter 2020; 16:7006-7017. [PMID: 32638818 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm00825g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Over the last few years, hydrogels have been proposed for many biomedical applications, including drug delivery systems and scaffolds for tissue engineering. In particular, peptides have been envisioned as excellent candidates for the development of hydrogel materials, due to their intrinsic biocompatibility, ease of handling, and intrinsic biodegradability. Recently, we developed a novel hybrid polymer-peptide conjugate, PEG8-(FY)3, which is able to self-assemble into a self-supporting soft hydrogel over dry and wet surfaces as demonstrated by molecular dynamics simulation. Here, we describe the synthesis and supramolecular organization of six novel hexapeptides rationally designed by punctual chemical modification of the primary peptide sequence of the ancestor peptide (FY)3. Non-coded amino acids were incorporated by replacing the phenylalanine residue with naphthylalanine (Nal) and tyrosine with dopamine (Dopa). We also studied the effect of the modification of the side chain and the corresponding PEGylated peptide analogues, on the structural and mechanical properties of the hydrogel. Secondary structure, morphology and rheological properties of all the peptide-based materials were assessed by various biophysical tools. The in vitro biocompatibility of the supramolecular nanostructures was also evaluated on fibroblast cell lines. We conclude that the PEG8-(Nal-Dopa)3 hydrogel possesses the right properties to serve as a scaffold and support cell growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Diaferia
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134-Naples, Italy.
| | - Francesca Netti
- Department of Oral Biology, The Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Tel-Aviv University, 69978, Israel.
| | - Moumita Ghosh
- Department of Oral Biology, The Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Tel-Aviv University, 69978, Israel.
| | - Teresa Sibillano
- Institute of Crystallography (IC), CNR, Via Amendola 122, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Cinzia Giannini
- Institute of Crystallography (IC), CNR, Via Amendola 122, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Morelli
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134-Naples, Italy.
| | - Lihi Adler-Abramovich
- Department of Oral Biology, The Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Tel-Aviv University, 69978, Israel.
| | - Antonella Accardo
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134-Naples, Italy.
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Gallo E, Rosa E, Diaferia C, Rossi F, Tesauro D, Accardo A. Systematic overview of soft materials as a novel frontier for MRI contrast agents. RSC Adv 2020; 10:27064-27080. [PMID: 35515779 PMCID: PMC9055484 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra03194a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a well-known diagnostic technique used to obtain high quality images in a non-invasive manner. In order to increase the contrast between normal and pathological regions in the human body, positive (T1) or negative (T2) contrast agents (CAs) are commonly intravenously administered. The most efficient class of T1-CAs are based on kinetically stable and thermodynamically inert gadolinium complexes. In the last two decades many novel macro- and supramolecular CAs have been proposed. These approaches have been optimized to increase the performance of the CAs in terms of the relaxivity values and to reduce the administered dose, decreasing the toxicity and giving better safety and pharmacokinetic profiles. The improved performances may also allow further information to be gained on the pathological and physiological state of the human body. The goal of this review is to report a systematic overview of the nanostructurated CAs obtained and developed by manipulating soft materials at the nanometer scale. Specifically, our attention is centered on recent examples of fibers, hydrogels and nanogel formulations, that seem particularly promising for overcoming the problematic issues that have recently pushed the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to withdraw linear CAs from the market. Gd(iii)-nanostructurated Constrast Agents (CAs) for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can be designed and developed by manipulating soft material, including fibers, hydrogels and nanogels, in the nanometer scale.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Gallo
- IRCCS SDN Via E. Gianturco 113 80143 Napoli Italy
| | - Elisabetta Rosa
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II" Via Mezzocannone 16 80134-Naples Italy
| | - Carlo Diaferia
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II" Via Mezzocannone 16 80134-Naples Italy
| | - Filomena Rossi
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II" Via Mezzocannone 16 80134-Naples Italy
| | - Diego Tesauro
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II" Via Mezzocannone 16 80134-Naples Italy
| | - Antonella Accardo
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II" Via Mezzocannone 16 80134-Naples Italy
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11
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Sibillano T, Terzi A, De Caro L, Ladisa M, Altamura D, Moliterni A, Lassandro R, Scattarella F, Siliqi D, Giannini C. Wide Angle X-Ray Scattering to Study the Atomic Structure of Polymeric Fibers. Crystals 2020; 10:274. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst10040274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Natural fibrillar-like macromolecules find applications in several fields, thanks to their peculiar features, and are considered perfect building blocks for natural and artificial functional materials. Indeed, fibrous proteins (such as collagen or fibroin) are commonly used in scaffold fabrication for biomedical applications, due to the high biophysical similarity with the extracellular matrix (ECM) which stimulates tissue regeneration. In the textile industry, cellulose-based fabrics are widely used in place of cotton and viscose, which both have sustainability issues related to their fabrication. With this in mind, the structural characterization of the materials at molecular scale plays a fundamental role in gaining insight into the fiber assembly process. In this work, we report on three fibers of research interest (i.e., type I collagen, silk fibroin extracted from Bombyx mori, and cellulose) to show the power of wide-angle X-ray scattering to characterize both intra- and intermolecular parameters of fibrous polymers. The latest possibilities offered in the X-ray scattering field allow one to study fibers at solid state or dispersed in solutions as well as to perform quantitative scanning X-ray microscopy of tissues entirely or partially made by fibers.
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Gallo E, Diaferia C, Di Gregorio E, Morelli G, Gianolio E, Accardo A. Peptide-Based Soft Hydrogels Modified with Gadolinium Complexes as MRI Contrast Agents. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:ph13020019. [PMID: 31973215 PMCID: PMC7168922 DOI: 10.3390/ph13020019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Poly-aromatic peptide sequences are able to self-assemble into a variety of supramolecular aggregates such as fibers, hydrogels, and tree-like multi-branched nanostructures. Due to their biocompatible nature, these peptide nanostructures have been proposed for several applications in biology and nanomedicine (tissue engineering, drug delivery, bioimaging, and fabrication of biosensors). Here we report the synthesis, the structural characterization and the relaxometric behavior of two novel supramolecular diagnostic agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique. These diagnostic agents are obtained for self-assembly of DTPA(Gd)-PEG8-(FY)3 or DOTA(Gd)-PEG8-(FY)3 peptide conjugates, in which the Gd-complexes are linked at the N-terminus of the PEG8-(FY)3 polymer peptide. This latter was previously found able to form self-supporting and stable soft hydrogels at a concentration of 1.0% wt. Analogously, also DTPA(Gd)-PEG8-(FY)3 and DOTA(Gd)-PEG8-(FY)3 exhibit the trend to gelificate at the same range of concentration. Moreover, the structural characterization points out that peptide (FY)3 moiety keeps its capability to arrange into β-sheet structures with an antiparallel orientation of the β-strands. The high relaxivity value of these nanostructures (~12 mM−1·s−1 at 20 MHz) and the very low in vitro cytotoxicity suggest their potential application as supramolecular diagnostic agents for MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Gallo
- IRCCS SDN, Via E. Gianturco 113, 80143 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Carlo Diaferia
- Department of Pharmacy and Interuniversity Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples “Federico II”, via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy; (C.D.); (G.M.)
| | - Enza Di Gregorio
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Science, University of Turin, Via Nizza 52, 10125 Turin, Italy; (E.D.G.); (E.G.)
| | - Giancarlo Morelli
- Department of Pharmacy and Interuniversity Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples “Federico II”, via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy; (C.D.); (G.M.)
| | - Eliana Gianolio
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Science, University of Turin, Via Nizza 52, 10125 Turin, Italy; (E.D.G.); (E.G.)
| | - Antonella Accardo
- Department of Pharmacy and Interuniversity Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples “Federico II”, via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy; (C.D.); (G.M.)
- Correspondence:
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13
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Castelletto V, Edwards-Gayle CJC, Hamley IW, Barrett G, Seitsonen J, Ruokolainen J, de Mello LR, da Silva ER. Model self-assembling arginine-based tripeptides show selective activity against Pseudomonas bacteria. Chem Commun (Camb) 2020; 56:615-618. [DOI: 10.1039/c9cc07257h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Three model arginine-rich tripeptides RXR (X = W, F or non-natural residue 2-napthylalanine) were investigated as antimicrobial agents, with a specific focus to target Pseudomonas aeruginosa through membrane lysis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ian W. Hamley
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Reading
- Reading RG6 6AD
- UK
| | - Glyn Barrett
- School of Biological Sciences
- University of Reading
- Reading RG6 6UR
- UK
| | - Jani Seitsonen
- Nanomicroscopy Center
- Aalto University
- FIN-02150 Espoo
- Finland
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14
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Avitabile C, Diaferia C, Roviello V, Altamura D, Giannini C, Vitagliano L, Accardo A, Romanelli A. Fluorescence and Morphology of Self-Assembled Nucleobases and Their Diphenylalanine Hybrid Aggregates. Chemistry 2019; 25:14850-14857. [PMID: 31566814 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201902709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Studies carried out in recent decades have revealed that the ability to self-assemble is a widespread property among biomolecules. Small nucleic acid moieties or very short peptides are able to generate intricate assemblies endowed with remarkable structural and spectroscopic properties. Herein, the structural/spectroscopic characterization of aggregates formed by nucleobases and peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-peptide conjugates are reported. At high concentration, all studied nucleobases form aggregates characterized by previously unreported fluorescence properties. The conjugation of these bases, as PNA derivatives, to the dipeptide Phe-Phe leads to the formation of novel hybrid assemblies, which are characterized by an amyloid-like association of the monomers. Although these compounds share the same basic cross-β motif, the nature and number of PNA units have an important impact on both the level of structural order and the intrinsic fluorescence of the self-assembled nanostructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Concetta Avitabile
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (CNR), via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Carlo Diaferia
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Valentina Roviello
- Advanced Metrologic Service Center (CeSMA), University of Naples "Federico II", Corso N. Protopisani, 80146, Naples, Italy
| | - Davide Altamura
- Institute of Crystallography (CNR), via Amendola 122, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Cinzia Giannini
- Institute of Crystallography (CNR), via Amendola 122, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Luigi Vitagliano
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (CNR), via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonella Accardo
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandra Romanelli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, via Venezian 21, 20133, Milan, Italy
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Diaferia C, Roviello V, Morelli G, Accardo A. Self‐Assembly of PEGylated Diphenylalanines into Photoluminescent Fibrillary Aggregates. Chemphyschem 2019; 20:2774-2782. [DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201900884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Diaferia
- Department of Pharmacy Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB)University of Naples “Federico II” Via Mezzocannone 16 80134- Naples Italy
| | - Valentina Roviello
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Production Engineering, DICMaPIUniversity of Naples “Federico II” Piazzale Tecchio 80 80125 Naples Italy
| | - Giancarlo Morelli
- Department of Pharmacy Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB)University of Naples “Federico II” Via Mezzocannone 16 80134- Naples Italy
| | - Antonella Accardo
- Department of Pharmacy Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB)University of Naples “Federico II” Via Mezzocannone 16 80134- Naples Italy
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16
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Diaferia C, Morelli G, Accardo A. Fmoc-diphenylalanine as a suitable building block for the preparation of hybrid materials and their potential applications. J Mater Chem B 2019; 7:5142-5155. [PMID: 31380554 DOI: 10.1039/c9tb01043b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Due to its capability to self-assemble in self-supporting hydrogels (HG) under physiological conditions, Fmoc-FF is one of the most studied ultra-short peptide. The structural properties of the resulting hydrogel (mechanical rigidity, entanglement of the fibrillary network, and the thickness of the fibers) strictly depend on the experimental conditions used during the preparation. In the past few years, a broad range of applications in different fields, such as biomedical and industrial fields, have been proposed. However, the research on novel materials with enhanced mechanical properties, stability, and biocompatibility has brought about the development of novel Fmoc-FF-based hybrid systems, in which the ultra-short hydrogelator is combined with others entities such as polysaccharides, polymers, peptides, or organic molecules. The structural features and the potential applications of these novel hybrid materials, with particular attention to tissue engineering, drug delivery, and catalysis, are described here. The aim is to give the readers a tool to design new hybrid nanomaterials based on the Fmoc-FF dipeptide hydrogelator, with appropriate properties for specific applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Diaferia
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134-Naples, Italy.
| | - Giancarlo Morelli
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134-Naples, Italy.
| | - Antonella Accardo
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134-Naples, Italy.
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17
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Glossop HD, De Zoysa GH, Hemar Y, Cardoso P, Wang K, Lu J, Valéry C, Sarojini V. Battacin-Inspired Ultrashort Peptides: Nanostructure Analysis and Antimicrobial Activity. Biomacromolecules 2019; 20:2515-2529. [PMID: 31145611 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.9b00291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Peptides can serve as versatile therapeutics with a highly modular structure and tunable biophysical properties. In particular, the efficacy of peptide antibiotics against drug-resistant pathogens is of great promise, as few new classes of antibiotics are being developed to overcome the ever-increasing bacterial resistance to contemporary drugs. This work reports biophysical and antimicrobial studies of a designed library of ultrashort peptides that self-assemble into hydrogels at concentrations as low as 0.5% w/v in buffered saline, as confirmed by rheology. The hydrogels are constituted by β-sheet-rich nanofibril networks, as determined by biophysical techniques including spectroscopy (attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Congo red binding assay), short- and wide-angle X-ray scattering, and electron microscopy. Both peptide solutions and self-assembled hydrogels show potent antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by membrane lysis. These peptides also displayed selectivity toward bacterial cells over human dermal fibroblasts in vitro, as determined from Live/Dead, scanning electron microscopy, and coculture assays. This work reports an antimicrobial self-assembling motif of only three residues comprising an aromatically acylated cationic d-Dab/Lys amino acid, a second cationic residue, and naphthylalanine that heavily influences the self-assembly of these peptides into hydrogels. The variations in the antimicrobial activity and self-assembly properties between analogues may have implications in future studies on the correlation between self-assembly and biological activity in ultrashort peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugh D Glossop
- School of Chemical Sciences , The University of Auckland , Private Bag 92019 , Auckland 1142 , New Zealand
| | - Gayan Heruka De Zoysa
- School of Chemical Sciences , The University of Auckland , Private Bag 92019 , Auckland 1142 , New Zealand
| | - Yacine Hemar
- School of Chemical Sciences , The University of Auckland , Private Bag 92019 , Auckland 1142 , New Zealand
| | - Priscila Cardoso
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences , RMIT University , Bundoora, Melbourne 3000 , Australia
| | - Kelvin Wang
- Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences , Auckland University of Technology , Auckland 1010 , New Zealand
| | - Jun Lu
- Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences , Auckland University of Technology , Auckland 1010 , New Zealand
| | - Céline Valéry
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences , RMIT University , Bundoora, Melbourne 3000 , Australia
| | - Vijayalekshmi Sarojini
- School of Chemical Sciences , The University of Auckland , Private Bag 92019 , Auckland 1142 , New Zealand.,The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology , Wellington 6140 , New Zealand
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18
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Tesauro D, Accardo A, Diaferia C, Milano V, Guillon J, Ronga L, Rossi F. Peptide-Based Drug-Delivery Systems in Biotechnological Applications: Recent Advances and Perspectives. Molecules 2019; 24:E351. [PMID: 30669445 PMCID: PMC6359574 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24020351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptides of natural and synthetic sources are compounds operating in a wide range of biological interactions. They play a key role in biotechnological applications as both therapeutic and diagnostic tools. They are easily synthesized thanks to solid-phase peptide devices where the amino acid sequence can be exactly selected at molecular levels, by tuning the basic units. Recently, peptides achieved resounding success in drug delivery and in nanomedicine smart applications. These applications are the most significant challenge of recent decades: they can selectively deliver drugs to only pathological tissues whilst saving the other districts of the body. This specific feature allows a reduction in the drug side effects and increases the drug efficacy. In this context, peptide-based aggregates present many advantages, including biocompatibility, high drug loading capacities, chemical diversity, specific targeting, and stimuli responsive drug delivery. A dual behavior is observed: on the one hand they can fulfill a structural and bioactive role. In this review, we focus on the design and the characterization of drug delivery systems using peptide-based carriers; moreover, we will also highlight the peptide ability to self-assemble and to actively address nanosystems toward specific targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Tesauro
- Department of Pharmacy and CIRPeB, Università Federico II, 80134 Naples, Italy.
| | - Antonella Accardo
- Department of Pharmacy and CIRPeB, Università Federico II, 80134 Naples, Italy.
| | - Carlo Diaferia
- Department of Pharmacy and CIRPeB, Università Federico II, 80134 Naples, Italy.
| | - Vittoria Milano
- Department of Pharmacy and CIRPeB, Università Federico II, 80134 Naples, Italy.
- ARNA, INSERM U1212/UMR CNRS 5320, UFR des Sciences Pharmaceutiques, Université de Bordeaux, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
| | - Jean Guillon
- ARNA, INSERM U1212/UMR CNRS 5320, UFR des Sciences Pharmaceutiques, Université de Bordeaux, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
| | - Luisa Ronga
- Institute of Analytical Sciences, IPREM, UMR 5254, CNRS-University of Pau, 64000 Pau, France.
| | - Filomena Rossi
- Department of Pharmacy and CIRPeB, Università Federico II, 80134 Naples, Italy.
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19
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Diaferia C, Balasco N, Sibillano T, Giannini C, Vitagliano L, Morelli G, Accardo A. Structural Characterization of Self-Assembled Tetra-Tryptophan Based Nanostructures: Variations on a Common Theme. Chemphyschem 2018. [PMID: 29542851 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201800026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Over the years, a large number of multidisciplinary investigations has unveiled that the self-assembly of short peptides and even of individual amino acids can generate a variety of different biomaterials. In this framework, we have recently reported that polyethylene glycol (PEG) conjugates of short homopeptides, containing aromatic amino acids such as phenylalanine (Phe, F) and naphthylalanine (Nal), are able to form elongated fibrillary aggregates having interesting chemical and physical properties. We here extend these analyses characterizing the self-assembling propensity of PEG6 -W4, a PEG adduct of the tetra-tryptophan (W4) sequence. A comprehensive structural characterization of PEG6 -W4 was obtained, both in solution and at the solid state, through the combination of spectroscopic, microscopic, X-ray scattering and computational techniques. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that this peptide is able to self-assemble in fibrillary networks characterized by a cross β-structure spine. The present findings clearly demonstrate that aromatic residues display a general propensity to induce self-aggregation phenomenon, despite the significant differences in the physicochemical properties of their side chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Diaferia
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134-, Naples, Italy
| | - Nicole Balasco
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), CNR, via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples (Italy
| | - Teresa Sibillano
- Institute of Crystallography (IC), CNR, Via Amendola 122, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Cinzia Giannini
- Institute of Crystallography (IC), CNR, Via Amendola 122, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Luigi Vitagliano
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), CNR, via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples (Italy
| | - Giancarlo Morelli
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134-, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonella Accardo
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134-, Naples, Italy
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20
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Diaferia C, Sibillano T, Altamura D, Roviello V, Vitagliano L, Giannini C, Morelli G, Accardo A. Structural Characterization of PEGylated Hexaphenylalanine Nanostructures Exhibiting Green Photoluminescence Emission. Chemistry 2017; 23:14039-14048. [PMID: 28782843 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201703055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Peptides containing aromatic residues are known to exhibit spontaneous phenomena of supramolecular organization into ordered nanostructures (NSs). In this work we studied the structural behavior and optoelectronic properties of new biocompatible materials obtained by the self-assembly of a series of hexaphenylalanines (F6) modified at the N terminus by a PEG chain of different lengths. PEG12 -F6, PEG18 -F6, and PEG24 -F6 peptides were synthesized by coupling sequentially two, three, or four units of amino-carboxy-PEG6 blocks, each one containing six oxyethylene repetitions. Changes in the length and composition of the PEG chain were found to modulate the structural organization of the phenylalanine-based nanostructures. An increase in the self-aggregation tendency was observed with longer PEG chains, whereas, independently of the PEG length, the peptide NSs display cross-β-like secondary structures with an antiparallel β-strand arrangement. WAXS/GIWAXS diffraction patterns indicate a progressive decrease in fiber order along the series. All the PEG-F6 derivatives present blue photoluminescent (PL) emission at 460 nm, with the adduct with the longest PEG chain (PEG24 -F6) showing an additional green emission at 530 nm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Diaferia
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II" and DFM Scarl, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Teresa Sibillano
- Institute of Crystallography (IC), CNR, Via Amendola 122, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Davide Altamura
- Institute of Crystallography (IC), CNR, Via Amendola 122, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Valentina Roviello
- Analytical Chemistry for the Environment and Centro Servizi Metrologici Avanzati, University of Naples "Federico II", Corso Nicolangelo Protopisani, 80146, Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Vitagliano
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Cinzia Giannini
- Institute of Crystallography (IC), CNR, Via Amendola 122, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Morelli
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II" and DFM Scarl, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonella Accardo
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II" and DFM Scarl, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy
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