Designing unconventional Fmoc-peptide-based biomaterials: structure and related properties

• Published in: Soft matter 2014-03, Vol.1 (12), p.1944-1952
• Main Authors: Chronopoulou, Laura, Sennato, Simona, Bordi, Federico, Giannella, Domenico, Di Nitto, Antonio, Barbetta, Andrea, Dentini, Mariella, Togna, Anna Rita, Togna, Giuseppina Ines, Moschini, Sabina, Palocci, Cleofe
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acids - chemistry; Biocompatible Materials - chemistry; Biocompatible Materials - pharmacology; Biomedical materials; Cell Survival - drug effects; Controlled release; Dichroism; Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate - chemistry; Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate - pharmacology; Kinetics; Microscopy, Atomic Force; Models, Molecular; Nanofibers - chemistry; Nanoparticles; Nanostructure; Peptides; Peptides - chemistry; Peptides - pharmacology; Scaffolds; Surgical implants
• ISSN: 1744-683X; 1744-6848
• DOI: 10.1039/c3sm52457d

We have recently employed l -amino acids in the lipase-catalyzed biofabrication of a class of self-assembling Fmoc-peptides that form 3-dimensional nanofiber scaffolds. Here we report that using d -amino acids, the homochiral self-assembling peptide Fmoc- d -Phe 3 (Fmoc-F*F*F*) also forms a 3-dimensional nanofiber scaffold that is substantially distinguishable from its l -peptide and heterochiral peptide (F*FF and FF*F*) counterparts on the basis of their physico-chemical properties. Such chiral peptides self-assemble into ordered nanofibers with well defined fibrillar motifs. Circular dichroism and atomic force microscopy have been employed to study in depth such fibrillar peptide structures. Dexamethasone release kinetics from PLGA and CS-PLGA nanoparticles entrapped within the peptidic hydrogel matrix encourage its use for applications in drug controlled release. In this work we investigate the effect of chirality on the biosynthesis of self-assembling peptides and on the structure-performance relationships of the resulting hydrogels.