Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
2010-1-13
pubmed:abstractText
Controllable bio-synthetic polymeric hydrogels made from fibrinogen-poly(ethylene glycol) adducts have been successfully employed in tissue engineering. The structural consequences of PEG conjugation to fibrinogen (i.e., PEGylation) in such a hydrogel network are not fully understood. The current investigation details the structural alterations caused to the reduced fibrinogen polypeptides by the covalent attachment of linear or branched PEG chains. The structure of PEGylated fibrinogen polypeptides were comprehensively characterized using small angle X-ray scattering, light scattering, and cryo-transmission electron microscopy. These characterizations concur that the bio-synthetic hybrids self-assemble into elongated objects, having a protein core of about 50 A in diameter decorated with multiple PEG chains. Conjugates with branched PEG chains were shorter, and have lower average molecular weight compared to conjugates with linear chains. The diameter of the protein core of both samples was similar, suggesting a tail-to-head aggregation of the PEGylated fibrinogen polypeptide. A more complete understanding of this unique structural arrangement can provide further insight into the full extent of biofunctional accessibility in a biomaterial that combines the advantages of synthetic polymers with bioactive proteins.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jan
pubmed:issn
1573-4838
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:volume
21
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
73-80
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2010
pubmed:articleTitle
Structural investigation of PEG-fibrinogen conjugates.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't