Abstract
We report a systematic study of a modular approach to create multi-component supramolecular nanostructures that can be tailored to be both enzyme and temperature responsive. Using a straightforward synthetic approach we functionalised a thermal responsive polymer, poly(2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline), with fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-amino acids that drive the self-assembly. Depending on the properties of appended amino acids, these polymers undergo substantial morphological changes in response to the catalytic action of alkaline phosphatase.
Highlights
Producing synthetic mimics of the adaptive compartmental systems of biological systems, through conformational changes under constant conditions, is a goal that has not been achieved [1,2,3]
We recently reported a system of phosphatase-responsive colloidal aggregates, composed of poly(2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline) (PiPrOx), a thermal responsive polymer, functionalised through a one-step synthetic strategy with fluorenylmethoxyloxycarbonyl-phosphorylated tyrosine [12], which is known to self assemble upon dephosphorylation [13]
We report a modular approach to achieve compartmental systems that can be selectively triggered upon catalytic action of phosphatase, achieving reconfiguration of the nanostructures formed
Summary
Producing synthetic mimics of the adaptive compartmental systems of biological systems, through conformational changes under constant conditions, is a goal that has not been achieved [1,2,3]. An alternative strategy, which involves the use of a non-covalent “super”-amphiphile, has been reported by Zhang and co-workers [11] In this case, a diblock co-polymer is used which bears positive charges [poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lysine)] [PEG-poly(K)] and, upon addition of negatively charged adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the system undergoes self-assembly due to ionic interactions between. Upon phosphatise-catalysed hydrolysis, the negatively charged molecules are digested, resulting in loss of the amphiphilic structure and dis-assembly This strategy shows dis-assembly upon enzyme catalysis, which may be of interest for drug delivery purposes. We recently reported a system of phosphatase-responsive colloidal aggregates, composed of poly(2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline) (PiPrOx), a thermal responsive polymer, functionalised through a one-step synthetic strategy with fluorenylmethoxyloxycarbonyl-phosphorylated tyrosine [12], which is known to self assemble upon dephosphorylation [13]. We functionalised PiPrOx with amino acids bearing different characteristics: Fmoc-phosphorylated tyrosine (Fmoc-pY) (negative), Fmoc-lysine (Fmoc-K) (positive), Fmoc-tyrosine (Fmoc-Y) and Fmoc-phenylanine (Fmoc-F) (hydrophobic and aromatic) amino acids
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