Enzymatically triggered rupture of polymersomes. Issue 4 (30th November 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jang, Woo-Sik; Park, Seung Chul; Reed, Ellen H.; Dooley, Kevin P.; Wheeler, Samuel F.; Lee, Daeyeon; Hammer, Daniel A.
• Is Part Of: Soft matter. Volume 12:Issue 4(2016)
• Page Start: 1014
• Page End: 1020
• Publication Date: 2015-11-30
• Subjects: Soft condensed matter -- Periodicals; 530.413
• DOI: 10.1039/c5sm01881a
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1744-683X

Abstract

Abstract : Polymersomes are robust vesicles made from di-block co-polymers. We have engineered a two step enzymatic cascade to trigger the release of contents from polymersomes, in which extravesicular glucose oxidase makes hydrogen peroxide, when then penetrates the membrane and is converted by entrapped catalase to oxygen, leading to vesicle failure. Abstract : Polymersomes are robust vesicles made from amphiphilic block co-polymers. Large populations of uniform giant polymersomes with defined, entrapped species can be made by templating of double-emulsions using microfluidics. In the present study, a series of two enzymatic reactions, one inside and the other outside of the polymersome, were designed to induce rupture of polymersomes. We measured how the kinetics of rupture were affected by altering enzyme concentration. These results suggest that protocells with entrapped enzymes can be engineered to secrete contents on cue.