Van't Hoff Laboratory for Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CH, The Netherlands.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Feb 7;120(6):e2211088120. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2211088120. Epub 2023 Jan 30.
Hydrophobic polyelectrolytes (HPEs) can solubilize bilayer membranes, form micelles, or can reversibly aggregate as a function of pH. The transitions are often remarkably sharp. We show that these cooperative transitions occur by a competition between two or more conformational states and can be explained within the framework of Monod-Wymann-Changeux (MWC) theory that was originally formulated for allosteric interactions. Here, we focus on the pH-dependent destabilization and permeation of bilayer membranes by HPEs. We formulate the general conditions that lead to sharp conformational transitions involving simple macromolecules mediated by concentration variations of molecular ligands. That opens up potential applications ranging from medicine to the development of switchable materials.
疏水聚合物电解质（HPE）可以溶解双层膜，形成胶束，或者可以根据 pH 值可逆聚集。这些转变通常非常明显。我们表明，这些协同转变是通过两种或多种构象状态之间的竞争发生的，可以在最初为变构相互作用制定的 Monod-Wymann-Changeux (MWC) 理论框架内解释。在这里，我们专注于 HPE 引起的双层膜的 pH 依赖性失稳和渗透。我们制定了一般条件，这些条件导致涉及分子配体浓度变化的简单大分子的尖锐构象转变。这为从医学到可切换材料的发展开辟了潜在的应用。
