B₁₂-dependent photoresponsive protein hydrogels for controlled stem cell/protein release.

ABSTRACT: Thanks to the precise control over their structural and functional properties, genetically engineered protein-based hydrogels have emerged as a promising candidate for biomedical applications. Given the growing demand for creating stimuli-responsive "smart" hydrogels, here we show the synthesis of entirely protein-based photoresponsive hydrogels by covalently polymerizing the adenosylcobalamin (AdoB₁₂)-dependent photoreceptor C-terminal adenosylcobalamin binding domain (CarH_C) proteins using genetically encoded SpyTag-SpyCatcher chemistry under mild physiological conditions. The resulting hydrogel composed of physically self-assembled CarH_C polymers exhibited a rapid gel-sol transition on light exposure, which enabled the facile release/recovery of 3T3 fibr

SUBMITTER: Wang R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5468657 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature