On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of click chemistry FOCUS REVIEWSAbstract: Hydrogels are crosslinked polymeric materials that play a vital role in many biomedical areas such as drug delivery, sensor technology, and tissue engineering. Increasing demand of these materials for such advanced applications has necessitated the development of hydrogels with complex chemical compositions such as incorporating small molecules and biomolecules that provide the functional attributes. This Focus Review highlights the tremendous impact of click chemistry on the design, synthesis, and functionalization of hydrogels. The high efficiency and fidelity of the click reactions have enabled rapid and modular synthesis of hydrogels with near-ideal network structures. Efficient incorporation of biomolecular building blocks, such as peptide sequences either during or after the fabrication of hydrogels, have been achieved through various click reactions. Utilization of these efficient reactions has led to the fabrication of many stimuli-responsive or 'smart' hydrogels in recent years.

Background: Sequence requirements for triple-helical collagen to bind fibronectin are not fully understood. Results: Fibronectin affinity was conferred on a recombinant bacterial collagen by incorporating specific human collagen II sequences. Conclusion:The chimeric collagen defines the minimum collagen II sequence required for fibronectin affinity. Significance: This system is useful to investigate sequence/activity relationships for triple-helical collagen and to generate scalable bioactive materials.

The replacement of one Gly in the essential repeating tripeptide sequence of the type I collagen triple helix results in the dominant hereditary bone disorder osteogenesis imperfecta. The mechanism leading to pathology likely involves misfolding and autophagy, although it has been hypothesized that some mutations interfere with known collagen interactions. Here, the effect of Gly replacements within and nearby the integrin binding GFPGER sequence was investigated using a recombinant bacterial collagen system. When a six-triplet human type I collagen sequence containing GFPGER was introduced into a bacterial collagen-like protein, this chimeric protein bound to integrin. Constructs with Gly to Ser substitutions within and nearby the inserted human sequence still formed a trypsin-resistant triple helix, suggesting a small local conformational perturbation. Gly to Ser mutations within the two Gly residues in the essential GFPGER sequence prevented integrin binding and cell attachment as predicted from molecular dynamics studies of the complex. Replacement of Gly residues C-terminal to GFPGER did not affect integrin binding. In contrast, Gly replacements N-terminal to the GFPGER sequence, up to four triplets away, decreased integrin binding and cell adhesion. This pattern suggests either an involvement of the triplets N-terminal to GFPGER in initial binding or a propagation of the perturbation of the triple helix C-terminal to a mutation site. The asymmetry in biological consequences relative to the mutation site may relate to the observed pattern of osteogenesis imperfecta mutations near the integrin binding site.

A range of non-animal collagens has been described, derived from bacterial species, which form stable triple-helical structures without the need for secondary modification to include hydroxyproline in the sequence. The non-animal collagens studied to date are typically smaller than animal interstitial collagens, around one quarter the length and do not pack into large fibrillar aggregates like those that are formed by the major animal interstitial collagens. A consequence of this for biomedical products is that fabricated items, such as collagen sponges, are not as mechanically and dimensionally stable as those of animal collagens. In the present study, we examined the production of larger, polymeric forms of non-animal collagens through introduction of tyrosine and cysteine residues that can form selective crosslinks through oxidation. These modifications allow the formation of larger aggregates of the non-animal collagens. When Tyr residues were incorporated, gels were obtained. And with Cys soluble aggregates were formed. These materials can be formed into sponges that are more stable than those formed without these modifications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 2369-2376, 2016.

Fibrous proteins, such as silk, elastin and collagen are finding broad impact in biomaterial systems for a range of biomedical and industrial applications. Some of the key advantages of biosynthetic fibrous proteins compared to synthetic polymers include the tailorability of sequence, protein size, degradation pattern, and mechanical properties. Recombinant DNA production and precise control over genetic sequence of these proteins allows expansion and fine tuning of material properties to meet the needs for specific applications. We review current approaches in the design, cloning, and expression of fibrous proteins, with a focus on strategies utilized to meet the challenges of repetitive fibrous protein production. We discuss recent advances in understanding the fundamental basis of structure-function relationships and the designs that foster fibrous protein self-assembly towards predictable architectures and properties for a range of applications. We highlight the potential of functionalization through genetic engineering to design fibrous protein systems for biotechnological and biomedical applications.

Gly missense mutations in type I collagen, which replace a conserved Gly in the repeating (Gly-Xaa-Yaa) sequence with a larger residue, are known to cause Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI). The clinical consequences of such mutations range from mild to lethal, with more serious clinical severity associated with larger Gly replacement residues. Here, we investigate the influence of the identity of the residue replacing Gly within and adjacent to the integrin binding GFPGER sequence on triple-helix structure, stability and integrin binding using a recombinant bacterial collagen system. Recombinant collagens were constructed with Gly substituted by Ala, Ser or Val at four positions within the integrin binding region. All constructs formed a stable triple-helix structure with a small decrease in melting temperature. Trypsin was used to probe local disruption of the triple helix, and Gly to Val replacements made the triple helix trypsin sensitive at three of the four sites. Any mutation at Gly505, eliminated integrin binding, while decreased integrin binding affinity was observed in the replacement of Gly residues at Gly502 following the order Val > Ser > Ala. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that all Gly replacements led to transient disruption of triple-helix interchain hydrogen bonds in the region of the Gly replacement. These computational and experimental results lend insight into the complex molecular basis of the varying clinical severity of OI.

Diblock and triblock dendron–polymer conjugates containing biodegradable polyester dendron blocks and polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymer were synthesized using the Diels–Alder “click” cycloaddition reaction. PEG polymers with furan‐protected maleimide functionality were synthesized and reacted with biodegradable polyester dendrons containing an anthracene moiety at their focal point. First through third generations of biodegradable polyester dendrons containing an anthracene unit at their focal point were synthesized using a divergent strategy. Efficient conjugation of the dendrons to polymers was demonstrated using 1HNMR and size exclusion chromatography. This modular approach provides an easy access to the design of multivalent PEG conjugates. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 3191–3201

Gene delivery research has gained momentum with the use of lipophilic vectors that mimic viral systems to increase transfection efficiency. However, maintaining cell viability with these systems remains a major challenge. Therefore biocompatible and nontoxic biopolymers that are designed by combining non-immunological viral mimicking components with suitable carriers have been explored to address these limitations. In the present study recombinant DNA technology was used to design a multi-functional gene delivery system for nuclear targeting, while also supporting cell viability. Spider dragline silk recombinant proteins were modified with DNA condensing units and the proton sponge endosomal escape pathway was utilized for enhanced delivery. Short-term transfection efficiency in a COS-7 cell line (adherent kidney cells isolated from African green monkey) was enhanced compared to lipofectamine and polyethyleneimine (PEI), as was cell viability with these recombinant bio-polyplexes. Endosomal escape and consequent nuclear targeting were shown with fluorescence microscopy.