Protease-Driven Phase Separation of Elastin-Like Polypeptides

Biomacromolecules. 2024 Aug 12;25(8):4898-4904. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00346. Epub 2024 Jul 9.

Abstract

Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are a promising material platform for engineering stimuli-responsive biomaterials, as ELPs undergo phase separation above a tunable transition temperature. ELPs with phase behavior that is isothermally regulated by biological stimuli remain attractive for applications in biological systems. Herein, we report protease-driven phase separation of ELPs. Protease-responsive "cleavable" ELPs comprise a hydrophobic ELP block connected to a hydrophilic ELP block by a protease cleavage site linker. The hydrophilic ELP block acts as a solubility tag for the hydrophobic ELP block, creating a temperature window in which the cleavable ELP reactant is soluble and the proteolytically generated hydrophobic ELP block is insoluble. Within this temperature window, isothermal, protease-driven phase separation occurs when a critical concentration of hydrophobic cleavage product accumulates. Furthermore, protease-driven phase separation is generalizable to four compatible protease-cleavable ELP pairings. This work presents exciting opportunities to regulate ELP phase behavior in biological systems using proteases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Elastin* / chemistry
  • Elastin* / isolation & purification
  • Elastin-Like Polypeptides
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions*
  • Peptide Hydrolases / chemistry
  • Peptide Hydrolases / metabolism
  • Peptides* / chemistry
  • Phase Separation
  • Phase Transition

Substances

  • Elastin
  • Peptides
  • Peptide Hydrolases
  • Elastin-Like Polypeptides