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Nanofibers Made of Globular Proteins

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Yael Dror^†, Tamar Ziv^‡, Vadim Makarov^†, Hila Wolf^‡, Arie Admon^‡ and Eyal Zussman*^†

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel

Biomacromolecules, 2008, 9 (10), pp 2749–2754

DOI: 10.1021/bm8005243

Publication Date (Web): September 20, 2008

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: meeyal@tx.tehnion.ac.il., †

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

, ‡

Faculty of Biology.

Section:

Pharmaceuticals

Abstract

Strong nanofibers composed entirely of a model globular protein, namely, bovine serum albumin (BSA), were produced by electrospinning directly from a BSA solution without the use of chemical cross-linkers. Control of the spinnability and the mechanical properties of the produced nanofibers was achieved by manipulating the protein conformation, protein aggregation, and intra/intermolecular disulfide bonds exchange. In this manner, a low-viscosity globular protein solution could be modified into a polymer-like spinnable solution and easily spun into fibers whose mechanical properties were as good as those of natural fibers made of fibrous protein. We demonstrate here that newly formed disulfide bonds (intra/intermolecular) have a dominant role in both the formation of the nanofibers and in providing them with superior mechanical properties. Our approach to engineer proteins into biocompatible fibrous structures may be used in a wide range of biomedical applications such as suturing, wound dressing, and wound closure.

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This article has been cited by 4 ACS Journal articles (4 most recent appear below).

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Insoluble Synthetic Polypeptide Mats from Aqueous Solution by Electrospinning
Dhan B. Khadka and Donald T. Haynie
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- Insoluble Synthetic Polypeptide Mats from Aqueous Solution by Electrospinning
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The Drosophila Transcription Factor Ultrabithorax Self-Assembles into Protein-Based Biomaterials with Multiple Morphologies
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- The Drosophila Transcription Factor Ultrabithorax Self-Assembles into Protein-Based Biomaterials with Multiple Morphologies
  Alexandra M. Greer, Zhao Huang, Ashley Oriakhi, Yang Lu, Jun Lou, Kathleen S. Matthews and Sarah E. Bondos
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  The use of proteins as monomers for materials assembly enables customization of chemical, physical, and functional properties. However, natural materials-forming proteins are difficult to produce as recombinant protein monomers and require harsh ...
  Abstract | Full Text HTML | Hi-Res PDF | PDF w/ Links
Mechanistic Examination of Protein Release from Polymer Nanofibers
M. Gandhi, R. Srikar, A. L. Yarin, C. M. Megaridis and R. A. Gemeinhart
Molecular Pharmaceutics2009 6 (2), 641-647
- Mechanistic Examination of Protein Release from Polymer Nanofibers
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  Therapeutic proteins have emerged as a significant class of pharmaceutical agents over the past several decades. The potency, rapid elimination, and systemic side effects have prompted the need of spatiotemporally controlled release for proteins maybe ...
  Abstract | Full Text HTML | Hi-Res PDF | PDF w/ Links