Co-assembly and multicomponent hydrogel formation upon mixing nucleobase-containing peptides

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Peptide-based hydrogels are promising biomaterials for advanced therapies.
• Current single-peptide hydrogels have limitations in mechanical properties.
• Multicomponent strategies offer a route to enhance hydrogel performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To formulate and characterize novel multicomponent hybrid DNA-nucleobase/peptide-based hydrogels.
• To investigate the synergistic effects of DNA nucleobases on hydrogel properties.
• To explore advanced applications in biotechnology and therapeutics.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a multiscale approach combining rheometry, proton relaxometry, SAXS, and electron microscopy.
• Employed spectroscopic techniques including infrared, circular dichroism, and fluorescence assays.
• Assessed Thioflavin T assays to study self-assembly kinetics and structure.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated synergistic effects of complementary DNA nucleobases (adenine/thymine, guanine/cytosine) on co-assembly.
• Observed significant improvements in structural, physicochemical, and mechanical properties.
• Characterized altered nano-object morphology, formation kinetics, fluorescence, stiffness, and stress resistance.

Conclusions:

• Multicomponent peptide-based hydrogels offer a viable strategy for designing innovative biomaterials.
• DNA nucleobases play a crucial role in modulating hydrogel self-assembly and properties.
• This research advances the understanding and application of complex peptide-based hydrogel systems.