Density control of poly(ethylene glycol) layer to regulate cellular attachment

A wide variety of cells usually integrate and respond to the microscale environment, such as soluble protein factors, extracellular matrix proteins, and contacts with neighboring cells. To gain insight into cellular microenvironment design, we investigated two-dimensional microarray formation of endothelial cells on a micropatterned poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-brushed surface, based on the relationship between PEG chain density and cellular attachment. The patterned substrates consisted of two regions: the PEG surface that acts as a cell-resistant layer and the exposed substrate surface that promotes protein or cell adsorption. A PEG-brushed layer was constructed on a gold substrate using PEG with a mercapto group at the end of the chain. The density of the PEG-brushed layer increased substantially with repetitive adsorption/rinse cycles of PEG on the gold substrate, allowing marked reduction of nonspecific protein adsorption. These repeated adsorption/rinse cycles were further regulated by using longer (5 kDa) and shorter (2 kDa) PEG to construct PEG layers with different chain density, and subsequent micropatterning was achieved by plasma etching through a micropatterned metal mask. The effects of PEG chain density on pattern formation of cell attachment were determined on micropatterning of endothelial cells. The results indicated that cell pattern formation was strongly dependent on the PEG chain density and on the extent of protein adsorption. Notably, a PEG chain density high enough to inhibit outgrowth of endothelial cells from the cell-adhering region in the horizontal direction could be obtained only by employing formation of a short filler layer of PEG in the preconstructed longer PEG-brushed layer, which prevented nonspecific protein adsorption almost completely. In this way, a completely micropatterned array of endothelial cells with long-term viability was obtained. This clearly indicated the importance of a short underbrushed PEG layer in minimizing nonspecific protein adsorption for long-term maintenance of the active cell pattern. The strategy for cell patterning presented here can be employed in tissue engineering to study cell-cell and cell-surface interactions. It is also applicable for high-throughput screening and clinical diagnostics, as well as interfacing cellular and microfabricated components of biomedical microsystems.     

Chitosan-g-MPEG-modified alginate/chitosan hydrogel microcapsules: a quantitative study of the effect of polymer architecture on the resistance to protein adsorption

The chemical modification of the alginate/chitosan/alginate (ACA) hydrogel microcapsule with methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (MPEG) was investigated to reduce nonspecific protein adsorption and improve biocompatibility in vivo. The graft copolymer chitosan-g-MPEG (CS-g-MPEG) was synthesized, and then alginate/chitosan/alginate/CS-g-MPEG (ACAC(PEG)) multilayer hydrogel microcapsules were fabricated by the layer-by-layer (LBL) polyelectrolyte self-assembly method. A quantitative study of the modification was carried out by the gel permeation chromatography (GPC) technique, and protein adsorption on the modified microcapsules was also investigated. The results showed that the apparent graft density of the MPEG side chain on the microcapsules decreased with increases in the degree of substitution (DS) and the MPEG chain length. During the binding process, the apparent graft density of CS-g-MPEG showed rapid growth-plateau-rapid growth behavior. CS-g-MPEG was not only bound to the surface but also penetrated a certain depth into the microcapsule membranes. The copolymers that penetrated the microcapsules made a smaller contribution to protein repulsion than did the copolymers on the surfaces of the microcapsules. The protein repulsion ability decreased with the increase in DS from 7 to 29% with the same chain length of MPEG 2K. CS-g-MPEG with MPEG 2K was more effective at protein repulsion than CS-g-MPEG with MPEG 550, having a similar DS below 20%. In this study, the microcapsules modified with CS-g-MPEG2K-DS7% had the lowest IgG adsorption of 3.0 ± 0.6 μg/cm(2), a reduction of 61% compared to that on the chitosan surface.     

Stainless steel modified with poly(ethylene glycol) can prevent protein adsorption but not bacterial adhesion

The surface of AISI 316 grade stainless steel (SS) was modified with a layer of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) (molecular weight 5000) with the aim of preventing protein adsorption and bacterial adhesion. Model SS substrates were first modified to introduce a very high density of reactive amine groups by the adsorption of branched poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) from water. Methoxy-terminated aldehyde-poly(ethylene glycol) (M-PEG-CHO) was then grafted onto the PEI layers using reductive amination at the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the PEG in order to optimize the graft density of the linear PEG chains. The chemical composition and uniformity of the surfaces were determined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight static secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SSIMS) in the imaging mode. The effects of PEI concentration and different substrate pre-cleaning methods on the structure and stability of the final PEG layer was examined. Piranha solution proved to be the most effective method for removing adventitious hydrocarbon contamination, compared to cleaning with ultrasonication in organic solvents, and was the SS substrate that produced the most stable and thickest PEI layer. The surface density of PEI was shown to increase with increasing PEI concentration (up to 30 mg/ml), as determined from XPS measurements, and subsequently produced the PEG layer with the highest density of attached chains. In model experiments using β-lactoglobulin no protein adsorption was detected on the optimized PEG surface as determined by XPS and ToF-SSIMS analysis. However, neither the adhesion of a Gram-negative (Pseudomonas sp.) nor a Gram-positive (Listeria monocytogenes) bacterium was affected by the coating as equal numbers adhered to all surfaces tested. Our results show that preventing protein adsorption is not a prerequisite stopping bacterial adhesion, and that other mechanisms most likely play a role.     

Adsorption of copolymers aggregates: from kinetics to adsorbed layer structure

We examined the adsorption, on hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces, of 4 rake-type poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) copolymers varying the amount of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) graft arms from 41 to 72%. The copolymers formed large aggregates in solution, complicating their adsorption kinetics and layer structures. We found the adsorption process always to be dominated by the adsorption of large aggregates, with strongly bound layers resistant to rinsing in adsorbing buffer. Adsorbed amounts were nearly independent of the substrate. However, subtleties in the adsorption kinetics suggested different layer structures for the different systems. On hydrophilic silica, aggregates adsorbed at the transport limited rate until surface saturation, and associated interfacial structures were likely retained. On the hydrophobic surface, a subset of the copolymers exhibited retarded late stage adsorption kinetics suggestive of brush formation. This work demonstrates how subtle differences in adsorption kinetics provide insight into potential interfacial layer structures.     

An aqueous-based surface modification of poly(dimethylsiloxane) with poly(ethylene glycol) to prevent biofouling

We report a simple modification of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surfaces with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) through the adsorption of a graft copolymer, poly(l-lysine)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLL-g-PEG) from aqueous solution. In this approach, the PDMS surface was treated with oxygen plasma, followed by immersion into aqueous solution containing PLL-g-PEG copolymers. Due to the hydroxyl/carboxylic groups generated on the PDMS surface after oxygen plasma, the polycationic PLL backbone is attracted to the negatively charged surface and PEG side chains exhibit an extended structure. The PEG/aqueous interface generated in this way revealed a near-perfect resistance to nonspecific protein adsorption as monitored by means of optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS) and fluorescence microscopy.     

Self-assembled monothiol-terminated hyperbranched polyglycerols on a gold surface: a comparative study on the structure, morphology, and protein adsorption characteristics with linear poly(ethylene glycol)s

Monothiol-terminated hyperbranched polyglycerols (HPGs) were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of glycidol from partially deprotonated 2,2'-dihydroxyethane disulfide as the initiator and subsequent reduction of the disulfide group. Two molecular weights of HPG thiols were synthesized. The molecular weights of the polymers were determined by MALDI-TOF analysis, and the presence of thiol was verified by Ellman's assay. The self-assembly of HPG thiols on gold was studied and compared with that of linear poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) thiols utilizing various surface analysis techniques. Monothiol-functionalized HPGs readily adsorbed to a gold surface and formed highly uniform thin films on the surface. The graft density of the HPG layer decreased with an increase in the molecular weight of the polymer. The amount of polymer on the surface increased with increasing incubation concentration and saturated above 6 g/L polymer concentration. Generally, HPG thiols gave lower graft density compared to linear PEG thiols of similar molecular weight. AFM morphological studies showed that HPG thiols form more uniform and smooth surface films compared to PEG thiols. Incubation of a polymer-coated surface (HPG thiols and PEG thiols) with bovine serum albumin and immunoglobulin showed that the high molecular weight hyperbranched polyglycerol was more resistant to protein adsorption than linear PEG of similar molecular weight or lower molecular weight HPG. The protein adsorption decreased with increasing graft density of the HPG chains on the surface. Our results show that HPG could be a good alternative to PEG in the development of nonfouling functional surfaces.     

Effect of surface composition on the adsorption of photosystem I onto alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers on gold

We have used self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) prepared from omega-terminated alkanethiols on gold to generate model surfaces and examine the effect of surface composition on the adsorption of Photosystem I (PSI), stabilized in aqueous solution by Triton X-100. Triton-stabilized PSI adsorbs to high-energy surfaces prepared from HO- and HO2C-terminated alkanethiols but does not adsorb to low-energy surfaces. The inhibition of PSI adsorption at low-energy surfaces is consistent with the presence of a layer of Triton X-100 that adsorbs atop the hydrophobic SAM and presents a protein-resistant poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) surface. While the presence of the PEG surface prevents the adsorption of PSI, the displacement of the inhibiting layer of Triton X-100 by dodecanol, a more active surfactant, greatly enhances the adsorption of PSI. This inhibiting effect by Triton X-100 can be extended to other protein systems such as bovine serum albumin.     

Chitosan-N-poly(ethylene glycol) brush copolymers: Synthesis and adsorption on silica surface

Chitosan-N-poly(ethylene glycol) brush copolymers with different degree of substitution (DS) were synthesized via reductive amination of chitosan by methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (MPEG) aldehyde. Chitosan-N-MPEG copolymers were high-molecular-weight products with desirable DS; solubility and solution viscosity of those copolymers depended on the method of the synthesis of MPEG aldehyde and on DS. Synthesis of MPEG aldehyde by the use of TEMPO radical/BAIB was not suitable because of partial oxidation of methoxy groups of MPEG resulting in bifunctional PEG derivatives leading to cross-linking. Adsorption studies of chitosan-N-MPEG graft copolymers on silica surface show that these polymers adsorb in highly hydrated layers.     

Size-selective protein adsorption to polystyrene surfaces by self-assembled grafted poly(ethylene glycols) with varied chain lengths

We report about the surface modification of polystyrene (PSt) with photoreactive alpha-4-azidobenzoyl-omega-methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)s (ABMPEG) of three different molecular weights (MWs of approximately 2, approximately 5, and approximately 10 kg/mol) and with two poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(propylene glycol) triblock copolymers (PEG-PPG-PEG) of about identical PEG/PPG ratio (80/20, w/w) and MW(PEG) of approximately 3 and approximately 6 kg/mol, all via adsorption from aqueous solutions. For ABMPEGs, an additional UV irradiation was used for photografting to the PSt. Contact angle (CA) and atomic force microscopy data revealed pronounced differences of the hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity and topography of the surfaces as a function of PEG type and concentration used for the modification. In all cases, an incomplete coverage of the PSt was observed even after modification at the highest solution concentrations (10 g/L). However, clear differences were seen between PEG-PPG-PEGs and ABMPEGs; only for the latter was a nanoscale-ordered interphase structure with an influence of MW(PEG) on the PEG density observed; after modification at the same solution concentrations, the density was significantly higher for lower MW(PEG). The adsorption of three proteins, myoglobin (Mgb), bovine serum albumin (BSA), and fibrinogen to the various surfaces was analyzed by surface plasmon resonance. Pronounced differences between the two PEG types with respect to the reduction of protein adsorption were found. At high, but still incomplete, surface coverage and similar CA, the shielding of ABMPEG layers toward the adsorption of Mgb and BSA was much more efficient; e.g., the adsorbed Mgb mass relative to that of unmodified PSt was reduced to 10% for ABMPEG 2 kg/mol while for both PEG-PPG-PEGs the Mgb mass was still around 100%. In addition, for the ABMPEG layers an effect of MW(PEG) on adsorbed protein mass-decrease with decreasing MW-could be confirmed; and the highest Mgb/BSA selectivities were also observed. A "two-dimensional molecular sieving", based on PEG molecules having a nanoscale order at the hydrophobic substrate polymer surface has been proposed, and the main prerequisites were the use of PEG conjugates which are suitable for an "end-on" grafting (e.g., ABMPEGs), the use of suitable (not too high) concentrations for the surface modification via adsorption/self-assembly, optionally the photografting on the substrate (possible only for ABMPEG), and presumably, a washing step to remove the excess of unbound PEGs. The results of this study also strongly support the hypothesis that the biocompatibility of hydrophobic materials can be very much improved by PEG modifications at surface coverages that are incomplete but have an ordered layer structure controlled by the size and steric interactions of surface-bound PEGs.     

Effects of ionic strength and surface charge on protein adsorption at PEGylated surfaces

PEGylated Nb2O5 surfaces were obtained by the adsorption of poly(L-lysine)-g-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLL-g-PEG) copolymers, allowing control of the PEG surface density, as well as the surface charge. PEG (MW 2 kDa) surface densities between 0 and 0.5 nm(-2) were obtained by changing the PEG to lysine-mer ratio in the PLL-g-PEG polymer, resulting in net positive, negative and neutral surfaces. Colloid probe atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to characterize the interfacial forces associated with the different surfaces. The AFM force analysis revealed interplay between electrical double layer and steric interactions, thus providing information on the surface charge and on the PEG layer thickness as a function of copolymer architecture. Adsorption of the model proteins lysozyme, alpha-lactalbumin, and myoglobin onto the various PEGylated surfaces was performed to investigate the effect of protein charge. In addition, adsorption experiments were performed over a range of ionic strengths, to study the role of electrostatic forces between surface charges and proteins acting through the PEG layer. The adsorbed mass of protein, measured by optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS), was shown to depend on a combination of surface charge, protein charge, PEG thickness, and grafting density. At high grafting density and high ionic strength, the steric barrier properties of PEG determine the net interfacial force. At low ionic strength, however, the electrical double layer thickness exceeds the thickness of the PEG layer, and surface charges "shining through" the PEG layer contribute to protein interactions with PLL-g-PEG coated surfaces. The combination of AFM surface force measurements and protein adsorption experiments provides insights into the interfacial forces associated with various PEGylated surfaces and the mechanisms of protein resistance.     

Formation of antifouling functional coating from deposition of a zwitterionic-co-nonionic polymer via “grafting to” approach

We develop a new process for the preparation of synergistic antifouling functional coatings on gold surfaces via a “grafting to” approach. The strategy includes a synthetic step of polymer brushes that consist of poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) and zwitterionic side chains via a typical reversible-addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization process, and a subsequent deposition of the polymer brushes onto a gold substrate. The presence of PEG and zwitterion chains on these polymer brush-coated gold surfaces has been proved to have a synergistic effect on the final antifouling property of the coating. PEG chains lower the electrostatic repulsion between zwitterionic polymer chains and increase their graft density on gold surfaces, while zwitterionic polymer effectively improves the antifouling property that is offered by PEG chains alone. Protein adsorption and cell attachment assays tests are conducted to confirm that this copolymer layer on gold surface has a pronounced resistance against proteins such as Bovine serum albumin and Lysozyme. Importantly, the antifouling property can be systematically adjusted by varying the molar ratio of PEG to zwitterionic chains in the final coating copolymer.     

Strategies toward biocompatible artificial implants: Grafting of functionalized poly(ethylene glycol)s to poly(ethylene terephthalate) surfaces

Epoxide and aldehyde end‐functionalized poly(ethylene glycol)s (PEGs) (M_w = 400, 1000, 3400, 5000, and 20,000) were grafted to poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) film substrates that contained amine or alcohol groups. PET‐PAH and PET‐PEI were prepared by reacting poly(allylamine) (PAH) and polyethylenimine (PEI) with PET substrates, respectively; PET‐PVOH was prepared by the adsorption of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) to PET substrates. Grafting was characterized and quantified by the increase of the intensity of the PEG carbon peak in the X‐ray photoelectron spectra. Grafting yield was optimized by controlling reaction parameters and was found to be substrate‐independent in general. Graft density consistently decreased as PEG chain length was increased. This is likely due to the higher steric requirement of higher molecular weight PEG molecules. Water contact angles of surfaces containing long PEG chains (3400, 5000, and 20,000) are much lower than those containing shorter PEG chains (400 and 1000). This indicates that longer PEG chains are more effective in rendering surfaces hydrophilic. Protein adsorption experiments were carried out on PET‐ and PEG‐modified derivatives using collagen, lysozyme, and albumin. After PEG grafting, the amount of protein adsorbed was reduced in all cases. Trends in surface requirements for protein resistance are: surfaces with longer PEG chains and higher chain density, especially the former, are more protein resistant; PEG grafted to surfaces containing branched or network polymers is not effective at covering the underlying substrate, and thus does not protect the entire surface from protein adsorption; and substrates containing surface charge are less protein‐resistant. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5389–5400, 2004     

Micellization and Adsorption Parameters of Poly(Propylene Oxide)/Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Block and Graft Copolymers in Aqueous Medium

This work aims to measure the adsorption and micellization parameters of new water soluble nonionic amphiphilic block and graft copolymers based on hydrophilic poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) and hydrophobic poly (propylene oxide) (PPO) at ambient temperature and normal atmospheric pressure. The chemical composition and molecular weights of the prepared copolymers were determined from ¹H NMR analyses. The surface properties of the prepared surfactants were determined by measuring the surface tension at different temperatures. The surface tension, critical micelle concentration, and surface activities were determined at different temperatures. Surface parameters such as surface excess concentration, the area per molecule at interface and the effectiveness of surface tension reduction were determined from the adsorption isotherms of the prepared surfactants. Some thermodynamic data for the adsorption and micellization process were calculated and are discussed.     

Protein resistance of titanium oxide surfaces modified by biologically inspired mPEG-DOPA

In the present study, we have utilized X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), spectroscopic ellipsometry (ELM), and optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS) to examine the surface adsorption and protein resistance behavior of bio-inspired polymers consisting of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) conjugated to peptide mimics of mussel adhesive proteins. Peptides containing up to three residues of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), a key component of mussel adhesive proteins, were conjugated to monomethoxy-terminated PEG polymers. These mPEG-DOPA polymers were found to be highly adhesive to TiO2 surfaces, with quantitative XPS analysis providing useful insight into the binding mechanism. Additionally, the antifouling properties of immobilized PEG were reflected in the excellent resistance of mPEG-DOPA-modified TiO2 surfaces to protein adsorption. Measurements of mPEG-DOPA and human serum adsorption were related in terms of ethylene glycol (EG) surface density and serum mass adsorbed and demonstrated a threshold of approximately 15-20 EG/nm2, above which substantially little protein adsorbs. With respect to surface density of adsorbed PEG and the associated nonfouling behavior of the adlayers, strong parallels exist between the nonfouling properties of the surface-bound mPEG-DOPA polymers and PEG polymers immobilized to surfaces using other approaches. Peptide anchors containing three DOPA residues resulted in PEG surface densities higher than those achieved using several existing PEG immobilization strategies, suggesting that peptide mimics of mussel adhesive proteins may be useful for achieving high densities of protein-resistant polymers on surfaces.     

Self-assembly of poly(ethylene glycol)-based block copolymers for biomedical applications

Nanostructure fabrication from block copolymers is discussed in this review paper. Particularly, novel approaches for the construction of functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) layers on surfaces were focused to attain the specific adsorption of a target protein through PEG-conjugated ligands with a minimal non-specific adsorption of other proteins. Furthermore, surface organization of block copolymer micelles with cross-linking cores was described from the standpoint of preparation of a new functional surface-coating with a unique macromolecular architecture. The micelle-attached surface and the thin hydrogel layer made by layered micelles exhibited non-fouling properties and worked as a reservoir for hydrophobic reagents. These PEG-functionalized surface in brush form or in micelle form can be used in diverse fields of medicine and biology to construct high-performance medical devices including scaffolds for tissue engineering and matrices for drug delivery systems.     

How Low Can You Go? Low Densities of Poly(ethylene glycol) Surfactants Attract Stealth Proteins

It is now well‐established that the surface chemistry and “stealth” surface functionalities such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains of nanocarriers play an important role to decrease unspecific protein adsorption of opsonizing proteins, to increase the enrichment of specific stealth proteins, and to prolong the circulation times of the nanocarriers. At the same time, PEG chains are used to provide colloidal stability for the nanoparticles. However, it is not clear how the chain length and density influence the unspecific and specific protein adsorption keeping at the same time the stability of the nanoparticles in a biological environment. Therefore, this study aims at characterizing the protein adsorption patterns depending on PEG chain length and density to define limits for the amount of PEG needed for a stealth effect by selective protein adsorption as well as colloidal stability during cell experiments. PEG chains are introduced using the PEGylated Lutensol AT surfactants, which allow easy modification of the nanoparticle surface. These findings indicate that a specific enrichment of stealth proteins already occurs at low PEG concentrations; for the decrease of unspecific protein adsorption and finally the colloidal stability a full surface coverage is advised.     

溶菌酶蛋白在聚合物防污膜表面的吸附

采用分子动力学模拟方法比较了溶菌酶蛋白在两种典型聚合物防污材料聚乙二醇(PEG)和聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS)表面的吸附行为, 在微观上探讨了聚合物膜表面性质对蛋白质吸附的影响. 根据蛋白质与聚合物膜之间的相互作用、能量变化及表面水化层分子的动力学行为, 解释了PEG防污涂层相对于PDMS表面具有更佳防污效果的原因: (1) 相比PDMS涂层, 蛋白质与PEG涂层的结合能量较低, 使其结合更加疏松; (2) 蛋白质吸附到材料表面要克服表面水化层分子引起的能障, PEG表面与水分子之间结合紧密, 结合水难于脱附, 造成蛋白质在其表面的吸附需要克服更高的能量, 不利于蛋白质的吸附.     

溶菌酶蛋白在聚合物防污膜表面的吸附

采用分子动力学模拟方法比较了溶菌酶蛋白在两种典型聚合物防污材料聚乙二醇(PEG)和聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS)表面的吸附行为,在微观上探讨了聚合物膜表面性质对蛋白质吸附的影响.根据蛋白质与聚合物膜之间的相互作用、能量变化及表面水化层分子的动力学行为,解释了PEG防污涂层相对于PDMS表面具有更佳防污效果的原因:(1)相比PDMS涂层,蛋白质与PEG涂层的结合能量较低,使其结合更加疏松;(2)蛋白质吸附到材料表面要克服表面水化层分子引起的能障,PEG表面与水分子之间结合紧密,结合水难于脱附,造成蛋白质在其表面的吸附需要克服更高的能量,不利于蛋白质的吸附.     

Protein PEGylation attenuates adsorption and aggregation on a negatively charged and moderately hydrophobic polymer surface

Covalent grafting of poly(ethylene glycol) chains to proteins ("PEGylation") is emerging as an effective technique to increase the in vivo circulation time and efficacy of protein drugs. PEGylated protein adsorption at a variety of solid/aqueous interfaces is a critical aspect of their manufacture, storage, and delivery. A special category of block copolymer, PEGylated proteins have one or more water-soluble linear polymer (PEG) blocks and a single globular protein block that each exert distinct intermolecular and surface interaction forces. We report the impact of PEGylation on protein adsorption at the interface between aqueous solutions and solid films of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLG), a moderately hydrophobic and negatively charged polymer. Using the model protein lysozyme with controlled degrees of PEGylation, we employ total internal reflection fluorescence techniques to measure adsorption isotherms, adsorption reversibility, and the extent of surface-induced aggregation. Lysozyme PEGylation reduces the extent of protein adsorption and surface-induced aggregation and increases the reversibility of adsorption compared to the unconjugated protein. Results are interpreted in terms of steric forces among grafted PEG chains and their effects on protein-protein interactions and protein orientation on the surface.     

Interactions between hen egg-white lysozyme, PEG2,000, and PLA50 at the air-water interface

In this paper, we compared the efficiency of polymer films, made of a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG2,000)/poly(d,l-lactide) (PLA50) mixture, or a PEG2,000-PLA50 copolymer, to prevent adsorption of a model protein, the hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL), at the air-water interface. This was achieved by analyzing the surface pressure/surface area curves, and the X-ray reflectivity data of the polymer films spread on a Langmuir trough, obtained in absence or in presence of the protein. For both the mixture and the copolymer, the amount of protein adsorbed at the air-water interface decreases when the density of the polymer surface coverage increases. It was shown that even in a condensed state, the polymer film made by the mixture can not totally prevent HEWL molecules to adsorb and penetrate the polymer mixed film, but however, protein molecules would not be directly exposed to the more hydrophobic phase, i.e. the air phase. It was also shown that the configuration adopted by the copolymer at the interface in its condensed state would prevent adsorption of HEWL molecules for several hours; this would be due in particular to the presence of PEG segments in the interfacial film.