Thermoresponsive microtubule hydrogel with high hierarchical structure

Biomacromolecules. 2011 May 9;12(5):1409-13. doi: 10.1021/bm101578x. Epub 2011 Mar 30.

Abstract

A thermoresponsive 3D microtubule hydrogel (MT gel) was prepared by simultaneous polymerization and chemical cross-linking of tubulins. The main chain of this gel is composed of cross-linked MTs, which consists of a cylindrical assembly of tubulin covalently connected by polyethylene glycol. This gel, which contains 10 mg/mL of tubulin, exhibits a storage modulus G' as high as 1 × 10(3), which is 10 times higher than the loss modulus G'' over a wide range of frequencies. The MT gel exhibits a reversible sol-gel transition by temperature changes at 4-37 °C via depolymerization and polymerization of the MT network. Notable effects of the presence of the cross-linkage on the process of polymerization and depolymerization of tubulin were experimentally observed, and the role of the cross-linkage was discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Hydrogels*
  • Microtubules*
  • Rheology

Substances

  • Hydrogels