Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut Charles Sadron (UPR 22), 23 rue du Loess, BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM Unité 1121, "Biomatériaux et Bioingénierie", 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, 67000 Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, 7 rue Saint Elisabeth, 67000 Strasbourg, France.
Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut Charles Sadron (UPR 22), 23 rue du Loess, BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.
J Colloid Interface Sci. 2021 Apr 15;588:580-588. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2020.12.066. Epub 2021 Jan 12.
Spatial control of supramolecular self-assembly can yield compartmentalized structures, a key feature for the design of artificial cells. Inducing self-assembly from and on compartments is still a challenge. Polyelectrolyte complex coacervates are simple model droplet systems able to reproduce the basic features of membrane-less organelles, appearing in cells. Here, we demonstrate the supramolecular self-assembly of a phosphorylated tripeptide, Fmoc-FFpY (Fmoc: fluorenyl-methoxycarbonyl; F: phenyl alanine, pY: phosphorylated tyrosine), on the surface of poly(l-glutamic acid)/poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PGA/PAH) complex coacervate microdroplets. The phosphorylated peptides self-assemble, without dephosphorylation, through ion pairing between the phosphate groups of Fmoc-FFpY and the amine groups of PAH. This process provides spontaneous capsules formed by an amorphous polyelectrolyte complex core surrounded by a structured peptide/PAH shell. Similar fibrillar Fmoc-FFpY self-assembled structures are obtained at the interface between the peptide solution and a PGA/PAH polyelectrolyte multilayer, a complex coacervate in the thin film or "multilayer" format. In contact with the peptide solution, PAH chains diffuse out of the coacervate or multilayer film and complex with Fmoc-FFpY at the solution interface, exchanging any PGA with which they were associated. Self-assembly of Fmoc-FFpY, now concentrated by complexation with PAH, follows quickly.
超分子自组装的空间控制可以产生分隔结构,这是设计人工细胞的关键特征。从隔间中诱导自组装仍然是一个挑战。聚电解质复合凝聚物是简单的模型液滴系统,能够再现细胞中出现的无膜细胞器的基本特征。在这里,我们证明了带负电荷的三肽 Fmoc-FFpY(Fmoc:芴甲氧羰基;F:苯丙氨酸,pY:磷酸化酪氨酸)在聚(L-谷氨酸)/聚(烯丙胺盐酸盐)(PGA/PAH)复合凝聚微滴表面的超分子自组装。磷酸化肽通过 Fmoc-FFpY 的磷酸基团与 PAH 的胺基团之间的离子配对,无需去磷酸化即可自组装。这个过程提供了自发形成的胶囊,由无定形聚电解质复合物核心和结构化的肽/PAH 壳组成。在肽溶液和聚电解质多层之间的界面处也获得了类似的纤维状 Fmoc-FFpY 自组装结构,这是在薄膜或“多层”形式的复杂凝聚物中。与肽溶液接触时,PAH 链从凝聚物或多层膜中扩散出来,并与肽溶液界面处的 Fmoc-FFpY 复合,取代与之结合的任何 PGA。Fmoc-FFpY 的自组装随后迅速进行,因为它与 PAH 发生了络合。