Fabrication of Short Peptide Cages by Interfacial Self-Assembly on CaCO3 Templates

Publication date: Available online 17 April 2019Source: Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering AspectsAuthor(s): Lu Feng, Peng Ren, Linna Hao, Qianqain Dong, Jieling Li, Honglei Jian, Meiyu Wang, Xin Li, Anhe Wang, Shuo BaiAbstractShort peptide cages have great potential applications in drug encapsulation and release because of excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability and multi-functionality originated from their abundant sequences. However, constructing short peptide cages are still a challenge, which is caused by the rapid kinetic and unlimited self-assembly behavior of short peptide in a macroscopical media. Herein, we developed smart procedures to produce short peptide cages, in which porous CaCO3 microparticles were used as enzyme (thermolysin) carriers and applied as catalyzers to promote the condensation reaction of Fmoc-Y and L-NH2 in confined space of water/n-hexane emulsion which limited the self-assembly behavior of Fmoc-YL-NH2 and allowed the peptide to just self-assemble on CaCO3 surface. Intact short peptide cages would be produced after the removing the templates.Graphical Abstract

Source: Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects - April 19, 2019 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research