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Molecular interactions between Pluronic F127 and the peptide tritrpticin in aqueous solution

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Abstract

Triblock copolymers, such as Pluronic F127 (F127), are pharmaceutically important amphiphilic compounds that self-assemble in aqueous solution either as discrete or entangled micelles, depending on their concentration and temperature, which may function as drug delivery vehicle. Herein, we have synthesized the antimicrobial peptide tritrpticin (TRP3), a tryptophan (Trp)- and arginine (Arg)-rich peptide, sequence VRRFPWWWPFLRR, with a broad spectrum of action against bacteria and fungi, to investigate its interaction with F127 in dilute aqueous solution, by using fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopies, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic light scattering, and zeta potential methods. The combined results indicate that at 50 μmol L−1 TRP3 and up to 700 μmol L−1 F127, these compounds interact together to form F127-bound complexes with the peptide at low concentrations, and immobilized TPR3-containing micelle-like structures at higher concentrations. The F127-TRP3 complexes are stable with varying hydrodynamic size depending on the relative amount of F127, which can be tuned smaller by adjusting the copolymer concentration to values suitable for drug delivery applications in biomedicine.

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Acknowledgments

E.A.P and R.S.S. thank FAPESB for the master’s degree fellowship. M.L. and J.P.P. thank CAPES for the PhD’s fellowship. P.R.S.S thanks FAPESP for the PhD’s fellowship. N.S.M.H was a CAPES post-doctoral fellow. E.F. and E.M.C. are CNPq research fellows.

Funding

We thank Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq (grant number 473885/2012-3) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia - FAPESB (grant number 6769/2011) for the financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Exact and Technological Sciences, State University of Santa Cruz–UESC, Ilhéus, BA, 45662-900, Brazil

    Luiz C. Salay, Elielma A. Prazeres & Rubens S. Santos

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, State University of Santa Cruz–UESC, Ilhéus, BA, 45662-900, Brazil

    Nélida S. Marín Huachaca

  3. Department of Physics, São Paulo State University-UNESP, São José do Rio Preto, SP, 15054-000, Brazil

    Monique Lemos & Eloi Feitosa

  4. Department of Biochemistry and Chemical Technology, Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Araraquara, SP, 14800-060, Brazil

    Julia P. Piccoli, Paulo R. S. Sanches & Eduardo M. Cilli

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  1. Luiz C. Salay
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Correspondence to Luiz C. Salay.

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Salay, L.C., Prazeres, E.A., Marín Huachaca, N.S. et al. Molecular interactions between Pluronic F127 and the peptide tritrpticin in aqueous solution. Colloid Polym Sci 296, 809–817 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-018-4304-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-018-4304-0

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