TY - JOUR A1 - Garakani, Tayebeh Mirzaei A1 - Liu, Zhanzhi A1 - Glebe, Ulrich A1 - Gehrmann, Julia A1 - Lazar, Jaroslav A1 - Mertens, Marie Anna Stephanie A1 - Möller, Mieke A1 - Hamzelui, Niloofar A1 - Zhu, Leilei A1 - Schnakenberg, Uwe A1 - Böker, Alexander A1 - Schwaneberg, Ulrich T1 - In Situ Monitoring of Membrane Protein Insertion into Block Copolymer Vesicle Membranes and Their Spreading via Potential-Assisted Approach JF - ACS applied materials & interfaces N2 - Synthosomes are polymer vesicles with trans membrane proteins incorporated into block copolymer membranes. They have been used for selective transport in or out of the vesicles as well as catalysis inside the compartments. However, both the insertion process of the membrane protein, forming nanopores, and the spreading of the vesicles on planar substrates to form solid-supported biomimetic membranes have been rarely studied yet. Herein, we address these two points and, first, shed light on the real-time monitoring of protein insertion via isothermal titration calorimetry. Second, the spreading process on different solid supports, namely, SiO2, glass, and gold, via different techniques like spin- and dip-coating as well as a completely new approach of potential-assisted spreading on gold surfaces was studied. While inhomogeneous layers occur via traditional methods, our proposed potential-assisted strategy to induce adsorption of positively charged vesicles by applying negative potential on the electrode leads to remarkable vesicle spreading and their further fusion to form more homogeneous planar copolymer films on gold. The polymer vesicles in our study are formed from amphiphilic copolymers poly(2-methyl oxazoline)-block-poly(dimethylsiloxane)-block-poly(2-methyl oxazoline) (PMOXA-b-PDMS-b-PMOXA). Engineered variants of the transmembrane protein ferric hydroxamate uptake protein component A (FhuA), one of the largest beta-barrel channel proteins, are used as model nanopores. The incorporation of FhuA Delta 1-160 is shown to facilitate the vesicle spreading process further. Moreover, high accessibility of cysteine inside the channel was proven by linkage of a fluorescent dye inside the engineered variant FhuA Delta CVFtev and hence preserved functionality of the channels after spreading. The porosity and functionality of the spread synthosomes on the gold plates have been examined by studying the passive ion transport response in the presence of Li+ and ClO4- ions and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis. Our approach to form solid-supported biomimetic membranes via the potential-assisted strategy could be important for the development of new (bio-) sensors and membranes. KW - synthosomes KW - solid-supported biomimetic membranes KW - polymersome spreading KW - electrochemical impedance spectroscopy KW - FhuA Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.9b09302 SN - 1944-8244 SN - 1944-8252 VL - 11 IS - 32 SP - 29276 EP - 29289 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Charan, Himanshu A1 - Kinzel, Julia A1 - Glebe, Ulrich A1 - Anand, Deepak A1 - Garakani, Tayebeh Mirzaei A1 - Zhu, Leilei A1 - Bocola, Marco A1 - Schwaneberg, Ulrich A1 - Böker, Alexander T1 - Grafting PNIPAAm from beta-barrel shaped transmembrane nanopores JF - Biomaterials : biomaterials reviews online N2 - The research on protein-polymer conjugates by grafting from the surface of proteins has gained significant interest in the last decade. While there are many studies with globular proteins, membrane proteins have remained untouched to the best of our knowledge. In this study, we established the conjugate formation with a class of transmembrane proteins and grow polymer chains from the ferric hydroxamate uptake protein component A (FhuA; a beta-barrel transmembrane protein of Escherichia coli). As the lysine residues of naturally occurring FhuA are distributed over the whole protein, FhuA was reengineered to have up to 11 lysines, distributed symmetrically in a rim on the membrane exposed side (outside) of the protein channel and exclusively above the hydrophobic region. Reengineering of FhuA ensures a polymer growth only on the outside of the beta-barrel and prevents blockage of the channel as a result of the polymerization. A water-soluble initiator for controlled radical polymerization (CRP) was consecutively linked to the lysine residues of FhuA and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) polymerized under copper mediated CRP conditions. The conjugate formation was analyzed by using MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry, SDS-PAGE, circular dichroism spectroscopy, analytical ultracentrifugation, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and size exclusion chromatography. Such conjugates combine the specific functions of the transmembrane proteins, like maintaining membrane potential gradients or translocation of substrates with the unique properties of synthetic polymers such as temperature and pH stimuli handles. FhuA-PNIPAAm conjugates will serve as functional nanosized building blocks for applications in targeted drug delivery, self-assembly systems, functional membranes and transmembrane protein gated nanoreactors. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. KW - Transmembrane protein KW - FhuA KW - Protein-polymer conjugate KW - Grafting-from polymerization KW - NIPAAm KW - BBTP Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2016.08.033 SN - 0142-9612 SN - 1878-5905 VL - 107 SP - 115 EP - 123 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER - TY - THES A1 - Charan, Himanshu T1 - Self assembled transmembrane protein polymer conjugates for the generation of nano thin membranes and micro compartments T1 - Selbstassemblierte Transmembranprotein-Polymer Konjugate für die Herstellung von nanodünnen Membranen und Mikrokompartimenten N2 - This project was focused on generating ultra thin stimuli responsive membranes with an embedded transmembrane protein to act as the pore. The membranes were formed by crosslinking of transmembrane protein polymer conjugates. The conjugates were self assembled on air water interface and the polymer chains crosslinked using a UV crosslinkable comonomer to engender the membrane. The protein used for the studies reported herein was one of the largest transmembrane channel proteins, ferric hydroxamate uptake protein component A (FhuA), found in the outer membrane of Escherichia coli (E. coli). The wild type protein and three genetic variants of FhuA were provided by the group of Prof. Schwaneberg in Aachen. The well known thermo responsive poly(N isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) and the pH and thermo responsive polymer poly((2-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) were conjugated to FhuA and the genetic variants via controlled radical polymerization (CRP) using grafting from technique. These polymers were chosen because they would provide stimuli handles in the resulting membranes. The reported polymerization was the first ever attempt to attach polymer chains onto a membrane protein using site specific modification. The conjugate synthesis was carried out in two steps – a) FhuA was first converted into a macroinitiator by covalently linking a water soluble functional CRP initiator to the lysine residues. b) Copper mediated CRP was then carried out in pure buffer conditions with and without sacrificial initiator to generate the conjugates. The challenge was carrying out the modifications on FhuA without denaturing it. FhuA, being a transmembrane protein, requires amphiphilic species to stabilize its highly hydrophobic transmembrane region. For the experiments reported in this thesis, the stabilizing agent was 2 methyl 2,4-pentanediol (MPD). Since the buffer containing MPD cannot be considered a purely aqueous system, and also because MPD might interfere with the polymerization procedure, the reaction conditions were first optimized using a model globular protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA). The optimum conditions were then used for the generation of conjugates with FhuA. The generated conjugates were shown to be highly interfacially active and this property was exploited to let them self assemble onto polar apolar interfaces. The emulsions stabilized by particles or conjugates are referred to as Pickering emulsions. Crosslinking conjugates with a UV crosslinkable co monomer afforded nano thin micro compartments. Interfacial self assembly at the air water interface and subsequent UV crosslinking also yielded nano thin, stimuli responsive membranes which were shown to be mechanically robust. Initial characterization of the flux and permeation of water through these membranes is also reported herein. The generated nano thin membranes with PNIPAAm showed reduced permeation at elevated temperatures owing to the resistance by the hydrophobic and thus water-impermeable polymer matrix, hence confirming the stimulus responsivity. Additionally, as a part of collaborative work with Dr. Changzhu Wu, TU Dresden, conjugates of three enzymes with current/potential industrial relevance (candida antarctica lipase B, benzaldehyde lyase and glucose oxidase) with stimuli responsive polymers were synthesized. This work aims at carrying out cascade reactions in the Pickering emulsions generated by self assembled enzyme polymer conjugate. N2 - Im Rahmen dieses Projekts wurden ultradünne Stimuli responsive Membranen hergestellt, in die ein Transmembranprotein als Pore eingebettet ist. Die Membranen wurden durch das Verlinken von Transmembranprotein-Polymer Konjugaten an Grenzflächen hergestellt. Dazu wurden Konjugate an der Luft-Wasser-Grenzfläche selbstassembliert und die Polymerketten unter Verwendung eines UV-vernetzbaren Comonomers vernetzt. Als Protein wurde einer der größten Transmembran-Proteinkanäle, welcher sich in der Natur in der äußeren Membran von Escherichia coli (E. coli) findet, verwendet, nämlich ferric hydroxamate uptake protein component A (FhuA). Das Wildtyp-Protein und drei genetische Varianten von FhuA wurden von der Gruppe von Prof. Schwaneberg in Aachen zur Verfügung gestellt. Das bekannte thermo responsive Poly(N-isopropylacrylamid) (PNIPAAm) und das pH- und thermo responsive Polymer Poly((2-dimethylamino) ethylmethacrylat) (PDMAEMA) wurden über kontrollierte radikalische Polymerisationen (CRP) via der grafting-from Technik an FhuA und die genetischen Varianten konjugiert. Diese responsiven Polymere wurden ausgewählt, weil die Eigenschaften der resultierenden Membranen folglich durch äußere Einflusse verändert werden können. Dabei handelt es sich um das erste Beispiel, Polymerketten von einem Membranprotein ortsspezifisch zu synthetisieren. Die Konjugatsynthese wurde in zwei Schritten durchgeführt - a) zuerst wurde ein FhuA Makroinitiator durch Anbinden funktioneller CRP Initiatoren an die Lysinreste des Proteins dargestellt. B) durch Kupfer-vermittelte CRP wurden dann in Pufferlösung sowohl mit als auch ohne Opferinitiator die Konjugate synthetisiert. Die Herausforderung bestand darin, FhuA zu modifizieren ohne das Protein dabei zu denaturieren. Als Transmembranprotein benötigt FhuA amphiphile Agentien, um seine hydrophobe Transmembran Region zu stabilisieren. Für die im Rahmen dieser Arbeit durchgeführten Experimente war das stabilisierende Agens 2-Methyl-2,4-pentandiol (MPD). Da der MPD-Puffer nicht als rein wässriges Medium betrachtet werden kann, und auch, weil MPD das Polymerisationsverfahren beeinflussen könnte, wurden die Reaktionsbedingungen zunächst unter Verwendung eines globulären Modellproteins, nämlich Rinderserumalbumin (BSA), optimiert. Die optimalen Bedingungen wurden dann für die Erzeugung von Konjugaten mit FhuA verwendet. Die Konjugate zeigten eine hohe Grenzflächenaktivität und diese Eigenschaft wurde für die Selbstassemblierung an polaren/apolaren Grenzflächen ausgenutzt. Wurden Emulsionen durch die Konjugate stabilisiert, so bezeichnet man dies als Pickering-Emulsionen. Das Vernetzen von Konjugaten mit einem UV-vernetzbaren Co-Monomer führt zu nano-dünnen Mikrokompartimenten. Die Selbstassemblierung an der Luft-Wasser-Grenzfläche und anschließende UV-Vernetzung ergaben nano-dünne, Stimuli-responsive Membranen, die sich als mechanisch robust erwiesen. Eine erste Charakterisierung des Flusses und der Permeation von Wasser durch die Membranen wird ebenfalls in dieser Arbeit beschrieben. Die erzeugten nano dünnen Membranen mit PNIPAAm zeigten eine verminderte Permeation bei erhöhten Temperaturen aufgrund der nun hydrophoben und damit wasserundurchlässigen Polymermatrix. Darüber hinaus wurden für eine Kooperation mit Dr. Changzhu Wu, TU Dresden, Konjugate von drei Enzymen mit industrieller Relevanz (Candida antarctica Lipase B, Benzaldehydlyase und Glucose-Oxidase) synthetisiert. Diese Arbeit zielt auf Kaskadenreaktionen in Pickering-Emulsionen, die durch selbstassemblierte Enzym-Polymer Konjugate katalysiert werden. KW - FhuA KW - transmembrane protein KW - protein-polymer conjugate KW - controlled radical polymerization KW - ultra-thin membrane KW - FhuA KW - Transmembranprotein KW - Protein-Polymer Konjugaten KW - kontrollierte radikalische Polymerisationen KW - ultradünne Membranen Y1 - 2017 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-402060 SP - xii, 138 ER -