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Updated: Jun 1, 2026

High-throughput Identification of Bacteria Repellent Polymers for Medical Devices
Published on: November 5, 2016
Pluronic-lysozyme conjugates as anti-adhesive and antibacterial bifunctional polymers for surface coating
Agnieszka K Muszanska1, Henk J Busscher, Andreas Herrmann
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, W. J. Kolff Institute, FB40, University Medical Center Groningen and University of Groningen, P.O. Box 196, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
This paper describes the preparation and characterization of polymer-protein conjugates composed of a synthetic triblock copolymer with a central polypropylene oxide (PPO) block and two terminal polyethylene oxide (PEO) segments, Pluronic F-127, and the antibacterial enzyme lysozyme attached to the telechelic groups of the PEO chains. Covalent conjugation of lysozyme proceeded via reductive amination of aldehyde functionalized PEO blocks (CHO-Pluronic) and the amine groups of the lysine residues in the protein. SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis together with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis revealed formation of conjugates of one or two lysozyme molecules per Pluronic polymer chain. The conjugated lysozyme showed antibacterial activity towards Bacillus subtilis. Analysis with a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation revealed that Pluronic-lysozyme conjugates adsorb in a brush conformation on a hydrophobic gold-coated quartz surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated surface coverage of 32% by lysozyme when adsorbed from a mixture of unconjugated Pluronic and Pluronic-lysozyme conjugate (ratio 99:1) and of 47% after adsorption of 100% Pluronic-lysozyme conjugates. Thus, bifunctional brushes were created, possessing both anti-adhesive activity due to the polymer brush, combined with the antibacterial activity of lysozyme. The coating having a lower degree of lysozyme coverage proved to be more bactericidal.
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