Bio-orthogonal conjugation and enzymatically triggered release of proteins within multi-layered hydrogels.

ABSTRACT: Hydrogels are facile architectures for the controlled presentation of proteins with far-reaching applications, from fundamental biological studies in three-dimensional culture to new regenerative medicine and therapeutic delivery strategies. Here, we demonstrate a versatile approach for spatially-defined presentation of engineered proteins within hydrogels through i) immobilization using bio-orthogonal strain-promoted alkyne-azide click chemistry and ii) dynamic protease-driven protein release using exogenously applied enzyme. Model fluorescent proteins were expressed using nonsense codon replacement to incorporate azide-containing unnatural amino acids in a site-specific manner toward maintaining protein activity: here, cyan fluorescent protein (AzCFP), mCherry fluorescent protein (AzmCh)

SUBMITTER: Guo C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5510749 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature