Browsing by Author "Top, Ayben"

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Integration of Leu-Asp Cell Attachment Motif Into Self-Assembling Peptide Sequences for Nanofibrillar Hydrogel Formation in Wound Healing
(Amer Chemical Soc, 2025) Tarim, Burcu Sirma; Sırma Tarım, Burcu; Tamburaci, Sedef; Top, Ayben; Uysal, Berk; Top, Ayben; 03.02. Department of Chemical Engineering; 03. Faculty of Engineering; 01. Izmir Institute of Technology
Functionalizing peptide sequences with cell adhesion motifs enhances their cellular bioactivity. Numerous studies have focused on incorporating the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif into peptide hydrogels; however, the integration of other bioactive domains has yet to be comprehensively investigated. In this study, one of the essential fibronectin-derived cell-binding domains, Leu-Asp-Val (LDV), was integrated into the self-assembling peptide to obtain extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimetic nanofibrillar hydrogelators. IBP1A (NH2-KLDVKLDVKLKV-CONH2) and IBP1B (NH2-KLDVKLDVKLDV-CONH2) peptides were designed accordingly. These peptides self-assemble into hydrogels in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at pH 7.4 and deionized water at neutral pH with storage modulus values between similar to 200 and similar to 2000 Pa. Flow curves and the cyclic strain sweep data confirmed that the hydrogels have shear thinning, injectability, and self-healing properties. Flexible nanofibrillar morphology was observed in the TEM images. Nanofibril widths of IBP1A and IBP1B networks were measured as 8.2 +/- 1.1 and 4.5 +/- 0.8 nm, respectively. In vitro tests were also conducted to evaluate these peptides in wound healing applications. The IBP1A peptide with a +3 charge at neutral pH exhibited modest antibacterial activity against Gram (+) and Gram (-) bacteria. In vitro cell culture experiments show that the IBP1A and IBP1B hydrogels promoted the growth of fibroblast cells and glycosaminoglycan secretion compared with the KLDL12 control peptide, which does not contain the LDV motif. The designed hydrogels induced cell attachment within 72 h by altering the cell morphology similar to their natural 3D microenvironment, whereas cells exhibited spindle-like morphology on the KLDL12 hydrogel and tissue culture polystyrene (TCP). Moreover, IBP1B accelerated in vitro wound healing by facilitating fibroblast migration. These results suggest that these bioactive injectable peptide hydrogels have potential in wound healing and skin tissue regeneration.
Peptide Hydrogels Containing Cell Attachment Molecules
(Izmir Institute of Technology, 2019) Uysal, Berk; Top, Ayben; Top, Ayben; 03.02. Department of Chemical Engineering; 03. Faculty of Engineering; 01. Izmir Institute of Technology
In this study, peptides with sequences and notations as KLELKLELKLEL (KLEL), KLDVKLDVKLDV (KLDV), KLDVKLDVKLKV (KLKV1), KLKVKLDVKLKV (KLKV2), KLKVKLKVKLKV (KLKV3) were synthesized using solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) method based on Fmoc chemistry. Reverse phase HPLC and MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy characterization methods were used to assess the purity of the peptides. Three different synthesis procedures were tested, and it was found that employing DMF:DMSO at 1:1 ratio as a solvent increased purity of the resultant peptide. FTIR results indicated the presence of expected β-sheet secondary structure, as well as an interference band from TFA salts for all of the peptides. All the peptides formed hydrogels at pH 7.4 with 1 wt% concentration in deionized water (DIW). AFM results of these hydrogels indicated that KLKV1 and KLKV2 had fibrous morphology with a width of 5-20 nm and 7-18 nm respectively. KLDV and KLKV3 peptide hydrogels, on the other hand, exhibited globular structures, having sizes with 15-50 nm and 8-15 nm, respectively. Storage moduli (G’) of these hydrogels in DIW were obtained as ~860 ± 150 Pa, ~260 ± 60 Pa, ~210 ± 30 Pa and ~1850 ± 200 Pa for KLDV, KLKV1, KLKV2 and KLKV3 respectively. Of these peptides, only HCl salt of KLDV and KLKV1 peptides more readily formed hydrogels in PBS but at 1.5 wt% concentration. G’ values of these KLDV and KLKV1 hydrogels were determined as ~1810 ± 850 Pa and ~700 ± 230 Pa, respectively. Cell proliferation tests (CCK-8 assay) of KLDV and KLKV1 hydrogels were performed by using L929 mouse fibroblast cells. Empty wells (TCPS) were used as a control group. Cell proliferation was observed to be comparable for both select hydrogels and empty wells, suggesting possible applications of these hydrogels in tissue engineering.