Sequence-Encoded Differences in Phase Separation Enable Formation of Resilin-like Polypeptide-Based Microstructured Hydrogels
Date
2023-08-14
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Biomacromolecules
Abstract
Microstructured hydrogels are promising platforms to mimic structural and compositional heterogeneities of the native extracellular matrix (ECM). The current state-of-the-art soft matter patterning techniques for generating ECM mimics can be limited owing to their reliance on specialized equipment and multiple time- and energy-intensive steps. Here, a photocross-linking methodology that traps various morphologies of phase-separated multicomponent formulations of compositionally distinct resilin-like polypeptides (RLPs) is reported. Turbidimetry and quantitative 1H NMR spectroscopy were utilized to investigate the sequence-dependent liquid–liquid phase separation of multicomponent solutions of RLPs. Differences between the intermolecular interactions of two different photocross-linkable RLPs and a phase-separating templating RLP were exploited for producing microstructured hydrogels with tunable control over pore diameters (ranging from 1.5 to 150 μm) and shear storage moduli (ranging from 0.2 to 5 kPa). The culture of human mesenchymal stem cells demonstrated high viability and attachment on microstructured hydrogels, suggesting their potential for developing customizable platforms for regenerative medicine applications.
Description
This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Biomacromolecules, copyright © 2023 American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00418. This article will be embargoed until 08/17/2024.
Keywords
cells, hydrogels, monomers, peptides and proteins, phase separation
Citation
Patkar, Sai S., Cristobal Garcia Garcia, Luisa L. Palmese, and Kristi L. Kiick. “Sequence-Encoded Differences in Phase Separation Enable Formation of Resilin-like Polypeptide-Based Microstructured Hydrogels.” Biomacromolecules 24, no. 8 (August 14, 2023): 3729–41. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00418.