Peptide-coated fibers

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to peptide-coated fibers, processes of fabricating said fibers, and articles incorporating said fibers.

1 . A peptide-coated fiber comprising a coating-receptive fiber and a peptide coating, the peptide coating being in reversible operative coating contact with the coating-receptive fiber; wherein the coating-receptive fiber has a diameter of 10 micrometers (μm) or less and comprises a molecularly self-assembling material and the peptide coating comprises at least one self-assembled peptide polymer, wherein each self-assembled peptide polymer comprises two or more self-assembling peptides and each self-assembling peptide is the same or different and independently comprises a self-assembly segment of from 2 to 59 amino acid residues. 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . A peptide-coated fiber according to  claim 1 , wherein the number average molecular weight (Mn) of the molecularly self-assembling material is between about 1000 grams per mole (g/mol) and about 50,000 g/mol, inclusive. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A peptide-coated fiber according to  claim 1 , wherein the coating-receptive fiber has an average diameter of less than about 1000 nanometers (nm). 
     
     
         9 . A peptide-coated fiber according to  claim 1 , wherein the molecularly self-assembling material is characterized by a melt viscosity of less than 100 pascal-seconds (Pa·s.) at from above T m  up to about 40 degrees Celsius (° C.) above T m . 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A peptide-coated fiber according to  claim 1 , wherein the molecularly self-assembling material comprises repeat units of formula I: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       and at least one second repeat unit selected from the ester-amide units of Formula II and III: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       and the ester-urethane units of Formula IV: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       or combinations thereof wherein:
 R is at each occurrence, independently a C 2 -C 20  non-aromatic hydrocarbylene group, a C 2 -C 20  non-aromatic heterohydrocarbylene group, or a polyalkylene oxide group having a group molecular weight of from about 100 grams per mole to about 5000 grams per mole; 
 R 1  at each occurrence independently is a bond or a C 1 -C 20  non-aromatic hydrocarbylene group; 
 R 2  at each occurrence independently is a C 1 -C 20  non-aromatic hydrocarbylene group; 
 R N  is —N(R 3 )—Ra—N(R 3 )—, where R 3  at each occurrence independently is H or a C 1 -C 6  alkylene and Ra is a C 2 -C 20  non-aromatic hydrocarbylene group, or R N  is a C 2 -C 20  heterocycloalkyl group containing the two nitrogen atoms, wherein each nitrogen atom is bonded to a carbonyl group according to formula (III) above; 
 n is at least 1 and has a mean value less than 2; and 
 w represents the ester mol fraction of Formula I, and x, y and z represent the amide or urethane mole fractions of Formulas II, III, and IV, respectively, where w+x+y+z=1, and 0<w<1, and at least one of x, y and z is greater than zero but less than 1. 
 
     
     
         17 . A peptide-coated fiber according to  claim 1 , wherein the molecularly self-assembling material is a polymer or oligomer of Formula II or III: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein 
         R is at each occurrence, independently a C 2 -C 20  non-aromatic hydrocarbylene group, a C 2 -C 20  non-aromatic heterohydrocarbylene group, or a polyalkylene oxide group having a group molecular weight of from about 100 grams per mole to about 5000 grams per mole; 
         R 1  at each occurrence independently is a bond or a C 1 -C 20  non-aromatic hydrocarbylene group; 
         R 2  at each occurrence independently is a C 1 -C 20  non-aromatic hydrocarbylene group; 
         R N  is —N(R 3 )—Ra—N(R 3 )—, where R 3  at each occurrence independently is H or a C 1 -C 6  alkylene and Ra is a C 2 -C 20  non-aromatic hydrocarbylene group, or R N  is a C 2 -C 20  heterocycloalkyl group containing the two nitrogen atoms, wherein each nitrogen atom is bonded to a carbonyl group according to formula (III) above; 
         n is at least 1 and has a mean value less than 2; and 
         x and y represent mole fraction wherein x+y=1, and 0≦x≦1, and 0≦y≦1. 
       
     
     
         18 . A peptide-coated fiber according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one self-assembled peptide polymer comprises a beta-sheet tape. 
     
     
         19 . A peptide-coated fiber according to  claim 18 , wherein the beta-sheet tape is in an anti-parallel arrangement. 
     
     
         20 . A peptide-coated fiber according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one self-assembled peptide polymer comprises two or more β-sheet tapes, a ribbon comprised of two or more stacked β-sheet tapes, a fibril comprised of two or more said ribbons stacked together, or a peptide fiber comprised of an entwined plurality of said fibrils. 
     
     
         21 . A peptide-coated fiber according to  claim 1 , wherein each self-assembling segment independently comprises from 4 to 40 amino acid residues. 
     
     
         22 . A peptide-coated fiber according to  claim 1 , wherein each self-assembling peptide is independently of any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 27. 
     
     
         23 . A peptide-coated fiber according to  claim 1 , at least one self-assembling peptide independently further comprising one or two supplemental segments, each supplemental segment independently comprising 1 or more amino acid residues and being a residual from a protein expression of the self-assembling peptide. 
     
     
         24 . A process of fabricating a peptide-coated fiber of  claim 1 , the process comprising steps of: (a) contacting a coating-receptive fiber that has a diameter of 10 μm or less and comprises a molecularly self-assembling material to a medium comprising at least one self-assembled peptide polymer and a peptide-coating solvent, wherein said at least one self-assembled peptide polymer is dissolved in the peptide-coating solvent and contacts said coating-receptive fiber, wherein each self-assembled peptide polymer independently comprises two or more self-assembling peptides and each self-assembling peptide is the same or different and independently comprises a self-assembly segment of from 2 to 59 amino acid residues; and (b) allowing the at least one self-assembled peptide polymer to at least partially coat the coating-receptive fiber; wherein the process produces the at least one peptide-coated fiber. 
     
     
         25 . A process of fabricating a peptide-coated fiber of  claim 24 , the process further comprising a first triggering step of triggering assembly of the two or more self-assembling peptides into the at least one self-assembled peptide polymer. 
     
     
         26 . A process of fabricating a peptide-coated fiber of  claim 25 , wherein the first triggering step is performed when the coating-receptive fiber is in contact with the medium. 
     
     
         27 . A process according to  claim 24 , the process further comprising a second triggering step of triggering at least partial coating of the coating-receptive fiber by the at least one self-assembled peptide polymer. 
     
     
         28 . A process according to  claim 25 , wherein each triggering step independently comprises varying concentration of a self-assembling peptide dissolved in the medium; varying pH of the medium; varying ionic strength of the medium; adding one or more peptide-coating solvents to a medium; varying temperature of a medium; varying polarity of a medium; adding a complementary self-assembling peptide; or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         29 . A process according to  claim 24 , the process further comprising a drying step of removing a substantial portion of the peptide-coating solvent from the peptide-coated fiber to give a dried peptide-coated fiber wherein said peptide-coating solvent accounts for less than 10 wt % of said dried peptide-coated fiber. 
     
     
         30 . A process according to  claim 24 , wherein the peptide-coating solvent comprises water, 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoropropan-2-ol, tetrafluoromethane, chloroform, methanol, N,N-dimethylacetamide, N,N-dimethylformamide, tetrahydrofuran, formamide, toluene, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, ethanol, and dichloromethane. 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . An article comprised of the peptide-coated fiber of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         33 . (canceled)