Fig. 1: Unusual IDP architectures through ELP-POP mixtures.
From: Complex microparticle architectures from stimuli-responsive intrinsically disordered proteins
a Sequence and architecture for ELPs and POPs. POPs have a disordered ELP backbone with ordered oligoalanine helices embedded at defined intervals. b Cloud point temperatures (Tcp) measured by optical turbidity for ELP(V) and POP(V)-25% (200 µM, PBS). Both IDPs have sharp, LCST phase behavior, though POPs exhibit thermal hysteresis with a lower Tcp-cooling than Tcp-heating. c Single plane confocal microscopy images above the Tcps of (i) ELP(V) and (ii) POP(V)-25% (200 µM, PBS). While ELPs form liquid-like coacervates above their Tcp, POPs form stable, physically crosslinked porous networks. d Schematic of the formation of the (i) ‘fruits-on-a-vine’ and (ii) core-shell network architectures that form based on which component transitions at a lower temperature. e Single plane confocal images of (i–ii) mixtures of POP(V)-25% (200 µM) + ELP(V4A1) (200 µM) depicting the ‘fruits-on-a-vine’ architecture and (iii-iv) mixtures of ELP(V) (500 µM) + POP(V1A4)-25% (100 µM) depicting the core-shell architecture. Panels ii and iv are higher magnifications of images i and iii, respectively. Both mixtures were imaged after heating from 4 °C to 35 °C—above the Tcp of both components—in PBS. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.
