Nitric Oxide-Biosignal-Responsive Polypeptide Nanofilaments
Renjie Liu, Miaomiao Xu, Qiang Yan
Abstract
-phenylenediamine-functionalized poly(l-glutamate) segment (PEOPA) that can respond to NO biosignal with extraordinary sensitivity and selectivity. Such polypeptides can further form a rigid filament nanostructure via the synergism of an α-helical secondary structure of PEOPA blocks and H-bonding between interchain OPA side groups. A biologically relevant level of NO can cleave the filament-forming OPA motifs, thus, leading to a dissociation of the assemblies. This NO-responsive disassembly behavior makes these polypeptide nanofilaments as NO-activated nanocarriers, which hold promise for NO-pathological milieu-specific drug delivery.
Topics & Concepts
AmphiphileNitric oxideNanocarriersCleaveNanotechnologySelf-assemblyBiophysicsMaterials scienceNanostructureChemistryDrug deliveryPolymerCopolymerBiochemistryBiologyOrganic chemistryDNASupramolecular Self-Assembly in MaterialsSupramolecular Chemistry and ComplexesLuminescence and Fluorescent Materials