Reversible active switching of the mechanical properties of a peptide film at a fluid–fluid interface
Source abstract
Abstract
Designer peptides have recently been developed as building blocks for novel self-assembled materials with stimuli-responsive properties. To date, such materials have been based on self-assembly in bulk aqueous solution or at solid-fluid interfaces. We have designed a 21-residue peptide, AM1, as a stimuli-responsive surfactant that switches molecular architectures at a fluid-fluid interface in response to changes in bulk aqueous solution composition. In the presence of divalent zinc at neutral pH, the peptide forms a mechanically strong 'film state'. In the absence of metal ions or at acid pH, the peptide adsorbs to form a mobile 'detergent state'. The two interfacial states can be actively and reversibly switched. Switching between the two states by a change in pH or the addition of a chelating agent leads to rapid emulsion coalescence or foam collapse. This work introduces a new class of surfactants that offer an environmentally friendly approach to control the stability of interfaces in foams, emulsions and fluid-fluid interfaces more generally.
Source: europepmc · Quality: candidate unverified · Source record ↗
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Supramolecular Self-Assembly in Materials · Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior · Polydiacetylene-based materials and applications
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
References (47)
Show source-provided references
1. He, L. Z., Dexter, A. F. & Middelberg, A. P. J. Biomolecular engineering at interfaces. Chem. Eng. Sci. 61, 989–1003 (2006).10.1016/j.ces.2005.05.064 ↗
2. Fairman, R. & Akerfeldt, K. S. Peptides as novel smart materials. Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol. 15, 453–463 (2005).10.1016/j.sbi.2005.07.005 ↗
3. Morreale, G., Lee, E. G., Jones, D. B. & Middelberg, A. P. J. Bioprocess-centered molecular design (BMD) for the efficient production of an interfacially active peptide. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 87, 912–923 (2004).10.1002/bit.20209 ↗
4. Zhang, S. & Zhao, X. Design of molecular biological materials using peptide motifs. J. Mater. Chem. 14, 2082–2086 (2004).10.1039/b406136e ↗
5. Rajagopal, K. & Schneider, J. P. Self-assembling peptides and proteins for nanotechnological applications. Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol. 14, 480–486 (2004).10.1016/j.sbi.2004.06.006 ↗
6. Kohn, W. D. & Hodges, R. S. De novo design of α-helical coiled coils and bundles: models for the development of protein-design principles. Trends Biotechnol. 16, 379–389 (1998).10.1016/S0167-7799(98)01212-8 ↗
7. Cohen, C. & Parry, D. A. D. α-Helical coiled coils and bundles: how to design an α-helical protein. Proteins Struct. Funct. Genet. 7, 1–15 (1990).10.1002/prot.340070102 ↗
8. Zhang, S. G. & Altman, M. Peptide self-assembly in functional polymer science and engineering. React. Funct. Polym. 41, 91–102 (1999).10.1016/S1381-5148(99)00031-0 ↗
9. Petka, W. A., Harden, J. L., McGrath, K. P., Wirtz, D. & Tirrell, D. A. Reversible hydrogels from self-assembling artificial proteins. Science 281, 389–392 (1998).10.1126/science.281.5375.389 ↗
10. Schneider, J. P. et al. Responsive hydrogels from the intramolecular folding and self-assembly of a designed peptide. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 124, 15030–15037 (2002).10.1021/ja027993g ↗
11. Hartgerink, J. D., Beniash, E. & Stupp, S. I. Self-assembly and mineralization of peptide-amphiphile nanofibers. Science 294, 1684–1688 (2001).10.1126/science.1063187 ↗
12. Vauthey, S., Santoso, S., Gong, H. Y., Watson, N. & Zhang, S. G. Molecular self-assembly of surfactant-like peptides to form nanotubes and nanovesicles. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 99, 5355–5360 (2002).10.1073/pnas.072089599 ↗
13. Lu, J. R. et al. Interfacial nano-structuring of designed peptides regulated by solution pH. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126, 8940–8947 (2004).10.1021/ja049477r ↗
14. Stevens, M. M. et al. pH-Dependent behavior of surface-immobilized artificial leucine zipper proteins. Langmuir 20, 7747–7752 (2004).10.1021/la030440e ↗
15. Hong, Y. S., Lau, L. S., Legge, R. L. & Chen, P. Critical self-assembly concentration of an ionic-complementary peptide EAK16-I. J. Adhes. 80, 913–931 (2004).10.1080/00218460490508616 ↗
16. Middelberg, A. P. J., Radke, C. J. & Blanch, H. W. Peptide interfacial adsorption is kinetically limited by the thermodynamic stability of self association. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 97, 5054–5059 (2000).10.1073/pnas.080042597 ↗
17. Degrado, W. F. & Lear, J. D. Induction of peptide conformation at apolar/water interfaces. 1. A study with model peptides of defined hydrophobic periodicity. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 107, 7684–7689 (1985).10.1021/ja00311a076 ↗
18. Bos, M. A. & van Vliet, T. Interfacial rheological properties of adsorbed protein layers and surfactants: a review. Adv. Colloid Interface Sci. 91, 437–471 (2001).10.1016/S0001-8686(00)00077-4 ↗
19. Wilde, P. J. Interfaces: their role in foam and emulsion behaviour. Curr. Opin. Colloid Interface Sci. 5, 176–181 (2000).10.1016/S1359-0294(00)00056-X ↗
20. Jones, D. B. & Middelberg, A. P. J. Micromechanical testing of interfacial protein networks demonstrates ensemble behaviour characteristic of a nanostructured biomaterial. Langmuir 18, 5585–5591 (2002).10.1021/la020090g ↗
21. McClements, D. J. Protein-stabilized emulsions. Curr. Opin. Colloid Interface Sci. 9, 305–313 (2004).10.1016/j.cocis.2004.09.003 ↗
22. Tcholakova, S., Denkov, N. D., Sidzhakova, D., Ivanov, I. B. & Campbell, B. Effects of electrolyte concentration and pH on the coalescence stability of β-lactoglobulin emulsions: experiment and interpretation. Langmuir 21, 4842–4855 (2005).10.1021/la046891w ↗
23. Das, K. P. & Kinsella, J. E. Effect of heat denaturation on the adsorption of beta-lactoglobulin at the oil-water interface and on coalescence stability of emulsions. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 139, 551–560 (1990).10.1016/0021-9797(90)90128-B ↗
24. Dickinson, E., Murray, B. S. & Stainsby, G. Coalescence stability of emulsion-sized droplets at a planar oil-water interface and the relationship to protein film surface rheology. J. Chem. Soc. Faraday Trans. I 84, 871–883 (1988).10.1039/f19888400871 ↗
25. Aveyard, R. & Clint, J. H. Foam and thin film breakdown processes. Curr. Opin. Colloid Interface Sci. 1, 764–770 (1996).10.1016/S1359-0294(96)80079-3 ↗
26. van Aken, G. A. in Food Emulsions (eds Friberg, S. E., Larsson, K. & Sjoblom, J.) 299–325 (Marcel Dekker, New York, 2004).
27. Fairman, R. et al. Characterization of a new four-chain coiled-coil: influence of chain length on stability. Protein Sci. 4, 1457–1469 (1995).10.1002/pro.5560040803 ↗
28. Jones, D. B. & Middelberg, A. P. J. Mechanical properties of interfacially adsorbed peptide networks. Langmuir 18, 10357–10362 (2002).10.1021/la0262203 ↗
29. Jones, D. B. & Middelberg, A. P. J. Direct determination of the mechanical properties of an interfacially adsorbed protein film. Chem. Eng. Sci. 57, 1711–1722 (2002).10.1016/S0009-2509(02)00057-X ↗
30. Cameron, D. R., Weber, M. E., Idziak, E. S., Neufeld, R. J. & Cooper, D. G. Determination of interfacial areas in emulsions using turbidimetric and droplet size data: correction of the formula for emulsifying activity index. J. Agric. Food Chem. 39, 655–659 (1991).10.1021/jf00004a005 ↗
31. Adam, N. K. & Miller, J. G. F. The structure of surface films Part XIX—The effect of alkaline solutions on films with various end groups. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 142, 416–422 (1933).10.1098/rspa.1933.0178 ↗
32. Schulman, J. H. & Hughes, A. H. On the surface of unimolecular films-Part IV—The effect of the underlying solution and transition phenomena in the film. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 138, 430–450 (1932).10.1098/rspa.1932.0193 ↗
33. Adam, N. K. & Miller, J. G. F. The structure of surface films Part XVIII—The effect of alkalinity in the underlying solution on films of fatty acids. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 142, 401–415 (1933).10.1098/rspa.1933.0177 ↗
34. Rosano, H. L., Christodoulou, A. P. & Feinstein, M. E. Competition of cations at charged micelle and monolayer interfaces. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 29, 335–344 (1969).10.1016/0021-9797(69)90203-3 ↗
35. Goddard, E. D. & Ackilli, J. A. Monolayer properties of fatty acids. J. Colloid Sci. 18, 585–595 (1963).10.1016/0095-8522(63)90050-3 ↗
36. Sengupta, T. & Papadopoulos, K. D. Kemps triacid at oil-water interfaces. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 163, 234–244 (1994).10.1006/jcis.1994.1099 ↗
37. Kanicky, J. R., Poniatowski, A. F., Mehta, N. R. & Shah, D. O. Cooperativity among molecules at interfaces in relation to various technological processes: Effect of chain length on the pK(a) of fatty acid salt solutions. Langmuir 16, 172–177 (2000).10.1021/la990719o ↗
38. Sengupta, T., Yates, M. & Papadopoulos, K. D. Metal complexation with surface-active Kemp’s triacid. Colloids Surf. A 148, 259–270 (1999).10.1016/S0927-7757(98)00714-6 ↗
39. Jong, L. I. & Abbott, N. L. A chemodegradable surfactant system based on oxidation of disulfide bonds using hypochlorite. Langmuir 16, 5553–5561 (2000).10.1021/la991419+ ↗
40. Chen, C. M., Lu, C. H., Chang, C. H., Yang, Y. M. & Maa, J. R. Influence of pH on the stability of oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by a splittable surfactant. Colloids Surf. A 170, 173–179 (2000).10.1016/S0927-7757(00)00480-5 ↗
41. Gallardo, B. S. & Abbott, N. L. Active control of interfacial properties: a comparison of dimeric and monomeric ferrocenyl surfactants at the surface of aqueous solutions. Langmuir 13, 203–208 (1997).10.1021/la960647q ↗
42. Shin, J. Y. & Abbott, N. L. Using light to control dynamic surface tensions of aqueous solutions of water soluble surfactants. Langmuir 15, 4404–4410 (1999).10.1021/la981477f ↗
43. Burgess, D. J. & Sahin, N. O. Interfacial rheological and tension properties of protein films. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 189, 74–82 (1997).10.1006/jcis.1997.4803 ↗
44. Martin, A. H., Grolle, K., Bos, M. A., Stuart, M. A. & van Vliet, T. Network forming properties of various proteins adsorbed at the air/water interface in relation to foam stability. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 254, 175–183 (2002).10.1006/jcis.2002.8592 ↗
45. Abbott, N. L. New horizons for surfactant science in chemical engineering. AIChE J. 47, 2634–2639 (2001).10.1002/aic.690471202 ↗
46. Windhab, E., Dressler, M., Feigl, K., Fischer, P. & Megias-Alguacil, D. Emulsion processing—from single-drop deformation to design of complex processes and products. Chem. Eng. Sci. 60, 2101–2113 (2005).10.1016/j.ces.2004.12.003 ↗
47. Jones, D. B. & Middelberg, A. P. J. Interfacial protein networks and their impact on droplet breakup. AIChE J. 49, 1533–1541 (2003).10.1002/aic.690490617 ↗