Chemical modification of peptides and proteins, such as PEGylation and lipidation, creates conjugates with new properties. However, they are typically not dynamic or stimuliresponsive. Self-assembly controlled by a stimulus will allow adjusting properties directly. Here, we report that conjugates of oligogalacturonic acids (OGAs), isolated from plant-derived pectin, are Ca 2+ -responsive. We report the conjugation of OGA to human insulin (HI) to create new glyco-insulins. In addition, we coupled OGA to model peptides. We studied their self-assembly by dynamic light scattering, small-angle X-ray scattering, and circular dichroism, which showed that the self-assembly to form nanostructures depended on the length of the OGA sequence and Zn 2+ and Ca 2+ concentrations. Subcutaneous administration of OGA12−HI with Zn 2+ showed a stable decrease in blood glucose over a longer period of time compared to HI, despite the lower receptor binding affinity.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.