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Non-chromatographic Purification of Recombinant Elastin-like Polypeptides and their Fusions with Peptides and Proteins from Escherichia coli
Published on: June 9, 2014
Phase behavior of elastin-like synthetic recombinamers in deep eutectic solvents
Stefania Nardecchia1, María C Gutiérrez, M Luisa Ferrer
1Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
Biomacromolecules
|May 29, 2012
Summary
Deep eutectic solvents stabilize elastin-like recombinamers in a collapsed state, forming aggregates. Partial hydration can trigger their transition, opening possibilities for nanobiotechnology.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biotechnology
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Elastin-like recombinamers (ELRs) are stimuli-responsive biopolymers.
- Their phase transitions are crucial for applications but sensitive to solvent conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of deep eutectic solvents (DES) on ELR conformational stability.
- To explore the potential of DES for controlling ELR aggregation and phase behavior.
Main Methods:
- Cryo-etch scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-etch SEM) for aggregate visualization.
- Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) to study phase transitions.
- Systematic variation of water content in DES.
Main Results:
- DES promote the stabilization of the collapsed state of ELRs, leading to aggregate formation.
- The lower critical solution temperature (LCST) transition of ELRs is suppressed in neat and partially hydrated DES (up to 45 wt% water).
- The LCST transition is recovered upon further hydration (above 50 wt% water).
Conclusions:
- Deep eutectic solvents effectively stabilize the collapsed state of elastin-like recombinamers.
- Partial hydration of DES can modulate the ELR phase transition, offering tunable control.
- This tunable behavior suggests potential for ELRs in nano(bio)technological applications.
