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Water‐Rich Fluid Material Containing Orderly Condensed Proteins
Author(s) -
Nojima Tatsuya,
Iyoda Tomokazu
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201609974
Subject(s) - aqueous solution , chemistry , cationic polymerization , salt (chemistry) , chemical engineering , function (biology) , mixing (physics) , organic chemistry , evolutionary biology , engineering , biology , physics , quantum mechanics
A fluid material with high protein content (120–310 mg mL −1 ) was formed through the ordered self‐assembly of native proteins segregated from water. This material is instantly prepared by the simple mixing of a protein solution with anionic and cationic surfactants. By changing the ratio of the surfactants based on the electrostatic characteristics of the target protein, we observed that the surfactants could function as a versatile molecular glue for protein assembly. Moreover, these protein assemblies could be disassembled back into an aqueous solution depending on the salt conditions. Owing to the water‐retaining properties of the hydrophilic part of surfactants, the proteins in this material are in a water‐rich environment, which maintains their native structure and function. The inclusion of water also provides functional extensibility to this material, as demonstrated by the preparation of an enzymatically active gel. We anticipate that the unique features of this material will permit the use of proteins not only in solution but also as elements of integrated functionalized materials.