Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Epitope tagging for tracking elastin-like polypeptides.

Shin R Ong1, Kimberly A Trabbic-Carlson, Dana L Nettles

  • 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, 136 Hudson Hall, Box 90821, Durham, NC 27708, USA.

Biomaterials
|November 10, 2005
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A unimolecular GLP-1 and FGF21 dual agonist for treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.

Communications medicine·2026
Same author

The Polymers of Life: Exploring Cellular Function Through Polymer Concepts.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2026
Same author

Soaking Up Success: Sponge-Assisted Nanoparticle Transfection.

Research square·2026
Same author

Genetically Encoded Sterol-Modification of a Synthetic Intrinsically Disordered Protein Drives Its Self-Assembly Into Diverse Morphologies.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026
Same author

All-PEG-Like Block Copolymers Self-Assemble into Stealth Nanocarriers for Drug Delivery.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2026
Same author

Intrinsically Disordered Protein Coating for Oral Delivery of Peptide Drugs.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Researchers added a His(6) tag to elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) for cartilage repair scaffolds. This tag allows tracking of ELP degradation without affecting biocompatibility, aiding in evaluating scaffold performance in vivo.

Area of Science:

  • Biomaterials Science
  • Tissue Engineering
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are promising biocompatible biomaterials for injectable scaffolds in cartilage repair.
  • Tracking scaffold degradation is crucial for evaluating tissue regeneration and remodeling in vivo.
  • Incorporating tags can aid in tracking but must not compromise material properties or biocompatibility.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To incorporate an oligohistidine (His(6)) epitope tag into ELPs.
  • To assess the tag's utility in tracking ELP hydrogel degradation and its recognition in biological tissue.
  • To evaluate the potential of His(6)-tagged ELPs for monitoring scaffold remodeling during cartilage repair.

Main Methods:

  • Recombinant DNA techniques were used to create His(6)-tagged ELPs.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Western blot and ELISA were employed to detect and quantify His(6)-tagged ELPs after trypsin digestion.
  • Hydrogel weight loss was measured following enzymatic degradation to correlate with tagged ELP fragment mass.
  • Immunohistochemical staining was performed to assess tag recognition against articular cartilage.

    • Main Results:

    • His(6)-tagged ELPs were successfully synthesized and detected.
    • Quantification of His(6)-tagged ELP fragments after trypsin digestion showed a strong correlation with hydrogel weight loss.
    • The His(6) tag enabled specific recognition of ELPs against background staining in articular cartilage.
    • The tag facilitated tracking of enzymatic degradation of the ELP hydrogel.

    Conclusions:

    • The His(6) epitope tag can be successfully incorporated into ELPs without compromising biocompatibility.
    • The His(6) tag provides a reliable method for tracking ELP hydrogel degradation.
    • This tag enables independent monitoring of scaffold loss versus new tissue formation, crucial for evaluating cartilage repair in vivo.