Cationic homopolypeptides: A versatile tool to design multifunctional antimicrobial nanocoatings.

Postoperative infections are the most common complications faced by surgeons after implant surgery. To address this issue, an emerging and promising approach is to develop antimicrobial coatings using antibiotic substitutes. We investigated the use of polycationic homopolypeptides in a layer-by-layer coating combined with hyaluronic acid (HA) to produce an effective antimicrobial shield. The three peptide-based polycations used to make the coatings, poly(l-arginine) (PAR), poly(l-lysine), and poly(l-ornithine), provided an efficient antibacterial barrier by a contact-killing mechanism against Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Moreover, this activity was higher for homopolypeptides containing 30 amino-acid residues per polycation chain, emphasizing the impact of the polycation chain length and its mobility in the coatings to deploy its contact-killing antimicrobial properties. However, the PAR-containing coating emerged as the best candidate among the three selected polycations, as it promoted cell adhesion and epithelial monolayer formation. It also stimulated nitric oxide production in endothelial cells, thereby facilitating angiogenesis and subsequent tissue regeneration. More interestingly, bacteria did not develop a resistance to PAR and (PAR/HA) also inhibited the proliferation of eukaryotic pathogens, such as yeasts. Furthermore, in vivo investigations on a (PAR/HA)-coated hernia mesh implanted on a rabbit model confirmed that the coating had antibacterial properties without causing chronic inflammation. These impressive synergistic activities highlight the strong potential of PAR/HA coatings as a key tool in combating bacteria, including those resistant to conventional antibiotics and associated to medical devices.

Reverse Mechanotransduction: Driving Chromatin Compaction to Decompaction Increases Cell Adhesion Strength and Contractility.

Mechanical extracellular signals elicit chromatin remodeling via the mechanotransduction pathway, thus determining cellular function. However, the reverse pathway is an open question: does chromatin remodeling shape cells, regulating their adhesion strength? With fluidic force microscopy, we can directly measure the adhesion strength of epithelial cells by driving chromatin compaction to decompaction with chromatin remodelers. We observe that chromatin compaction, induced by performing histone acetyltransferase inhibition or ATP depletion, leads to a reduction in nuclear volume, disrupting actin cytoskeleton and focal adhesion assembly, and ultimately decreases in cell adhesion strength and traction force. Conversely, when chromatin decompaction is drived by removing the remodelers, cells recover their original shape, adhesion strength, and traction force. During chromatin decompaction, cells use depolymerized proteins to restore focal adhesion assemblies rather than neo-synthesized cytoskeletal proteins. We conclude that chromatin remodeling shapes cells, regulating adhesion strength through a reverse mechanotransduction pathway from the nucleus to the cell surface involving RhoA activation.

The Contribution of Various In Vitro Methodologies to Comprehending the Filling Ability of Root Canal Pastes in Primary Teeth.

A void-free obturation during root canal treatment on primary teeth is currently very difficult to attain. In this study, the pulpectomy filling abilities of Bio-C Pulpecto (Angelus, Basil, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil) and of zinc oxide eugenol, or "ZOE" (DenPro, Prevest, New York, NY, USA), were compared using several in vitro techniques. Therefore, 30 primary anterior teeth were used in the present in vitro study. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), including a multiple comparison procedure (Holm-Sidak method, Dunn's Method, or Tukey test), was used. On micro-CT, Bio-C Pulpecto exhibited higher void percentages than did ZOE (10.3 ± 3.8%, and 3.5 ± 1.3%), respectively (p < 0.05). With digital microscopy, higher total void percentages were found in the BC (13.2 ± 26.7%) group compared to the ZOE (2.7 ± 2.8%) group (p < 0.05). With the CLSM, mean tubular penetration depths were higher for Bio-C Pulpecto than for ZOE in all canal thirds (p < 0.05). SEM images demonstrated no tags into dentinal tubules in either group throughout the three thirds. Moreover, higher statistically significant flowability was found for Bio-C (2.657 ± 0.06 mm) compared to ZOE (1.8 ± 0.13 mm) (p < 0.05). The findings of this study indicate that neither ZOE nor Bio-C Pulpecto appears to meet the criteria for an ideal root canal filling paste for primary teeth. This study laid the groundwork for future research by determining how micro-CT, digital microscopy, SEM, and CLSM contribute to our understanding of the filling process of primary teeth. More thorough research on the mechanism of root canal obturation on primary teeth is required to achieve a long-term successful root canal therapy in young children.

Fluorescent bioinspired albumin/polydopamine nanoparticles and their interactions with Escherichia coli cells.

Inspired by the eumelanin aggregates in human skin, polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA NPs) are promising nanovectors for biomedical applications, especially because of their biocompatibility. We synthesized and characterized fluorescent PDA NPs of 10-25 nm diameter based on a protein containing a lysine-glutamate diad (bovine serum albumin, BSA) and determined whether they can penetrate and accumulate in bacterial cells to serve as a marker or drug nanocarrier. Three fluorescent PDA NPs were designed to allow for tracking in three different wavelength ranges by oxidizing BSA/PDA NPs (Ox-BSA/PDA NPs) or labelling with fluorescein 5-isothiocyanate (FITC-BSA/PDA NPs) or rhodamine B isothiocyanate (RhBITC-BSA/PDA NPs). FITC-BSA/PDA NPs and RhBITC-BSA/PDA NPs penetrated and accumulated in both cell wall and inner compartments of Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells. The fluorescence signals were diffuse or displayed aggregate-like patterns with both labelled NPs and free dyes. RhBITC-BSA/PDA NPs led to the most intense fluorescence in cells. Penetration and accumulation of NPs was not accompanied by a bactericidal or inhibitory effect of growth as demonstrated with the Gram-negative E. coli species and confirmed with a Gram-positive bacterial species (Staphylococcus aureus). Altogether, these results allow us to envisage the use of labelled BSA/PDA NPs to track bacteria and carry drugs in the core of bacterial cells.

Antibacterial Photodynamic Therapy in the Near-Infrared Region with a Targeting Antimicrobial Peptide Connected to a π-Extended Porphyrin.

The increase of antimicrobial resistance to conventional antibiotics is worldwide a major health problem that requires the development of new bactericidal strategies. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (a-PDT) that generates reactive oxygen species acting on multiple cellular targets is unlikely to induce bacterial resistance. This localized treatment requires, for safe and efficient treatment of nonsuperficial infections, a targeting photosensitizer excited in the near IR. To this end, a new conjugate consisting of an antimicrobial peptide linked to a π-extended porphyrin photosensitizer was designed for a-PDT. Upon irradiation at 720 nm, the conjugate has shown at micromolar concentration strong bactericidal action on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, this conjugate allows one to reach a low minimum bactericidal concentration with near IR excitation without inducing toxicity to skin cells.

Non-monotonous enzyme-assisted self-assembly profiles resulting from reaction-diffusion processes in host gels.

Reaction-diffusion (RD) processes are responsible for surface and in-depth micropatterning in inanimate and living matter. Here we show that enzyme-assisted self-assembly (EASA) of peptides is a valuable tool to functionnalize host gels. By using a phosphatase distributed in a host hydrogel, the diffusion of phosphorylated peptides from a liquid/host gel interface leads to the spontaneous formation of a pattern of dephosphorylated peptide self-assembly presenting at least two self-assembly maxima. Variation of enzyme and peptide concentrations change the pattern characteristics. When a peptide drop is deposited on a phosphatase functionalized gel, a self-assembly pattern is also formed both along the gel-solution interface and perpendicular to the interface. This self-assembly pattern induces a local change of the gel mechanical properties measured by nanoindentation. Its appearance relies on the formation of self-assembled structures by nucleation and growth processes which are static in the hydrogel. This process presents great similarities with the Liesegang pattern formation and must be taken into account for the functionalization of hydrogels by EASA. A mechanism based on RD is proposed leading to an effective mathematical model accounting for the pattern formation. This work highlights EASA as a tool to design organic Liesegang-like microstructured materials with potential applications in biomaterials and artificial living systems design.

Insensitivity of dental pulp stem cells migration to substrate stiffness.

Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are a promising cell source for regeneration of dental pulp. Migration is a key event but influence of the microenvironment rigidity (5 kPa at the center of dental pulp to 20 GPa for the dentin) is largely unknown. Mechanical signals are transmitted from the extracellular matrix to the cytoskeleton, to the nuclei, and to the chromatin, potentially regulating gene expression. To identify the microenvironmental influence on migration, we analyzed motility on PDMS substrates with stiffness increasing from 1.5 kPa up to 2.5 MPa. We found that migration speed slightly increases as substrate stiffness decreases in correlation with decreasing focal adhesion size. Motility is relatively insensitive to substrate stiffness, even on a bi-rigidity PDMS substrate where DPSCs migrate without preferential direction. Migration is independent of both myosin II activity and YAP translocation after myosin II inhibition. Additionally, inhibition of Arp2/3 complex leads to significant speed decrease for all rigidities, suggesting contribution of the lamellipodia in the migration. Interestingly, the chromatin architecture remains stable after a 7-days exposure on the PDMS substrates for all rigidity. To design scaffold mimicking dental pulp environment, similar DPSCs migration for all rigidity, leaves field open to choose this mechanical parameter.

Localized Enzyme-Assisted Self-Assembly in the Presence of Hyaluronic Acid for Hybrid Supramolecular Hydrogel Coating.

Hydrogel coating is highly suitable in biomaterial design. It provides biocompatibility and avoids protein adsorption leading to inflammation and rejection of implants. Moreover, hydrogels can be loaded with biologically active compounds. In this field, hyaluronic acid has been largely studied as an additional component since this polysaccharide is naturally present in extracellular matrix. Strategies to direct hydrogelation processes exclusively from the surface using a fully biocompatible approach are rare. Herein we have applied the concept of localized enzyme-assisted self-assembly to direct supramolecular hydrogels in the presence of HA. Based on electronic and fluorescent confocal microscopy, rheological measurements and cell culture investigations, this work highlights the following aspects: (i) the possibility to control the thickness of peptide-based hydrogels at the micrometer scale (18-41 µm) through the proportion of HA (2, 5 or 10 mg/mL); (ii) the structure of the self-assembled peptide nanofibrous network is affected by the growing amount of HA which induces the collapse of nanofibers leading to large assembled microstructures underpinning the supramolecular hydrogel matrix; (iii) this changing internal architecture induces a decrease of the elastic modulus from 2 to 0.2 kPa when concentration of HA is increasing; (iv) concomitantly, the presence of HA in supramolecular hydrogel coatings is suitable for cell viability and adhesion of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts.

Multifunctional polymeric implant coatings based on gelatin, hyaluronic acid derivative and chain length-controlled poly(arginine).

Surface of the implantable devices is the root cause of several complications such as infections, implant loosening and chronic inflammation. There is an urgent need for multifunctional coatings that can address these shortcomings simultaneously in a manner similar to the structures of extracellular matrix. Herein, we developed a coating system composed of ECM components and a naturally derived polypeptide. The interactions between the coating components create an environment that enables incorporation of an antimicrobial/angiogenic polypeptide. The film composition is based gelatin and hyaluronic acid modified with aldehyde groups (HA-Ald) that can react with poly (arginine) (PAR) through transient interactions. Nanoplasmon measurements demonstrated a significantly higher loading of PAR in films containing HA-Ald with longer retention of PAR in the structure. The presence of PAR not only provides to the film surface antimicrobial (contact-killing) properties but also increased endothelial cell-cell contacts (PECAM) and VEGFA gene expression and secretion by human vascular endothelial cells. This multifunctional coating can be easily applied to surface of implants where it can enact on several problems simultaneously.

Design of hybrid protein-coated magnetic core-mesoporous silica shell nanocomposites for MRI and drug release assessed in a 3D tumor cell model.

In this work, we describe the design and the use of a novel theranostic hybrid nanocomposite made of an iron oxide core and a mesoporous silica shell (IO@MS) of ca. 30 nm coated by human serum albumin (HSA) layer for magnetic resonance imaging and drug delivery applications. The porosity of IO@MS nanoparticles was loaded with an antitumoral drug, Doxorubicin (Dox) reaching a high drug loading capacity (DLC) of 34 w%. To entrap the drug, a tight HSA coating held via isobutyramide (IBAM) binders was deposited. We show that this protein nanoassembly entraps the drugs efficiently and behaves as an innovative enzyme-sensitive gatekeeper that is degraded upon protease action. Finally we assess the Dox release in a 3D cell model via confocal imaging and its cytotoxicity is shown by growth inhibition studies on liver cancer cell spheroids.

Chromatin de-condensation by switching substrate elasticity.

Mechanical properties of the cellular environment are known to influence cell fate. Chromatin de-condensation appears as an early event in cell reprogramming. Whereas the ratio of euchromatin versus heterochromatin can be increased chemically, we report herein for the first time that the ratio can also be increased by purely changing the mechanical properties of the microenvironment by successive 24 h-contact of the cells on a soft substrate alternated with relocation and growth for 7 days on a hard substrate. An initial contact with soft substrate caused massive SW480 cancer cell death by necrosis, whereas approximately 7% of the cells did survived exhibiting a high level of condensed chromatin (21% heterochromatin). However, four consecutive hard/soft cycles elicited a strong chromatin de-condensation (6% heterochromatin) correlating with an increase of cellular survival (approximately 90%). Furthermore, cell survival appeared to be reversible, indicative of an adaptive process rather than an irreversible gene mutation(s). This adaptation process is associated with modifications in gene expression patterns. A completely new approach for chromatin de-condensation, based only on mechanical properties of the microenvironment, without any drug mediation is presented.

D-Cateslytin: a new antifungal agent for the treatment of oral Candida albicans associated infections.

The excessive use of antifungal agents, compounded by the shortage of new drugs being introduced into the market, is causing the accumulation of multi-resistance phenotypes in many fungal strains. Consequently, new alternative molecules to conventional antifungal agents are urgently needed to prevent the emergence of fungal resistance. In this context, Cateslytin (Ctl), a natural peptide derived from the processing of Chromogranin A, has already been described as an effective antimicrobial agent against several pathogens including Candida albicans. In the present study, we compared the antimicrobial activity of two conformations of Ctl, L-Ctl and D-Ctl against Candida albicans. Our results show that both D-Ctl and L-Ctl were potent and safe antifungal agents. However, in contrast to L-Ctl, D-Ctl was not degraded by proteases secreted by Candida albicans and was also stable in saliva. Using video microscopy, we also demonstrated that D-Ctl can rapidly enter C. albicans, but is unable to spread within a yeast colony unless from a mother cell to a daughter cell during cellular division. Besides, we revealed that the antifungal activity of D-Ctl could be synergized by voriconazole, an antifungal of reference in the treatment of Candida albicans related infections. In conclusion, D-Ctl can be considered as an effective, safe and stable antifungal and could be used alone or in a combination therapy with voriconazole to treat Candida albicans related diseases including oral candidosis.

Localized Supramolecular Peptide Self-Assembly Directed by Enzyme-Induced Proton Gradients.

Electrodes are ideal substrates for surface localized self-assembly processes. Spatiotemporal control over such processes is generally directed through the release of ions generated by redox reactions occurring specifically at the electrode. The so-used gradients of ions proved their effectiveness over the last decade but are in essence limited to material-based electrodes, considerably reducing the scope of applications. Herein is described a strategy to enzymatically generate proton gradients from non-conductive surfaces. In the presence of oxygen, immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx) on a multilayer film provides a flow of protons through enzymatic oxidation of glucose by GOx. The confined acidic environment located at the solid-liquid interface allows the self-assembly of Fmoc-AA-OH (Fmoc=fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl and A=alanine) dipeptides into ß-sheet nanofibers exclusively from and near the surface. In the absence of oxygen, a multilayer nanoreactor containing GOx and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) similarly induces Fmoc-AA-OH self-assembly.

Bioactive Seed Layer for Surface-Confined Self-Assembly of Peptides.

The design and control of molecular systems that self-assemble spontaneously and exclusively at or near an interface represents a real scientific challenge. We present here a new concept, an active seed layer that allows to overcome this challenge. It is based on enzyme-assisted self-assembly. An enzyme, alkaline phosphatase, which transforms an original peptide, Fmoc-FFY(PO4 (2-) ), into an efficient gelation agent by dephosphorylation, is embedded in a polyelectrolyte multilayer and constitutes the "reaction motor". A seed layer composed of a polyelectrolyte covalently modified by anchoring hydrogelator peptides constitutes the top of the multilayer. This layer is the nucleation site for the Fmoc-FFY peptide self-assembly. When such a film is brought in contact with a Fmoc-FFY(PO4 (2-) ) solution, a nanofiber network starts to form almost instantaneously which extents up to several micrometers into the solution after several hours. We demonstrate that the active seed layer allows convenient control over the self-assembly kinetics and the geometric features of the fiber network simply by changing its peptide density.

Cell guidance into quiescent state through chromatin remodeling induced by elastic modulus of substrate.

Substrate stiffness is known to strongly influence the fate of adhering cells. Yet, little is known about the influence of the substrate stiffness on chromatin. Chromatin integrates a multitude of biochemical signals interpreted by activation or gene silencing. Here we investigate for the first time the organization of chromatin of epithelial cells on substrate with various mechanical properties. On stiff substrates (100-200 kPa), where cells preferentially adhere, chromatin is mainly found in its euchromatin form. Decreasing the Young modulus to 50 kPa is correlated with a partial shift from euchromatin to heterochromatin. On very soft substrates (≪10 kPa) this is accompanied by cell lysis. On these very soft substrates, histone deacetylase inhibition by adding a drug preserves acetylated histone and thus maintains the euchromatin form, thereby keeping intact the nuclear envelope as well as a residual intermediate filament network around the nucleus. This allows cells to survive in a non-adherent state without undergoing proliferation. When transfer on a stiff substrate these cells retain their capacity to adhere, to spread and to enter a novel mitotic cycle. A similar effect is observed on soft substrates (50 kPa) without need of histone deacetylase inhibition. These new results suggest that on soft substrates cells might enter in a quiescence state. Cell quiescence may thus be triggered by the Young modulus of a substrate, a major result for strategies focusing on the design of scaffold in tissue engineering.

Contribution of soft substrates to malignancy and tumor suppression during colon cancer cell division.

In colon cancer, a highly aggressive disease, progression through the malignant sequence is accompanied by increasingly numerous chromosomal rearrangements. To colonize target organs, invasive cells cross several tissues of various elastic moduli. Whether soft tissue increases malignancy or in contrast limits invasive colon cell spreading remains an open question. Using polyelectrolyte multilayer films mimicking microenvironments of various elastic moduli, we revealed that human SW480 colon cancer cells displayed increasing frequency in chromosomal segregation abnormalities when cultured on substrates with decreasing stiffness. Our results show that, although decreasing stiffness correlates with increased cell lethality, a significant proportion of SW480 cancer cells did escape from the very soft substrates, even when bearing abnormal chromosome segregation, achieve mitosis and undergo a new cycle of replication in contrast to human colonic HCoEpiC cells which died on soft substrates. This observation opens the possibility that the ability of cancer cells to overcome defects in chromosome segregation on very soft substrates could contribute to increasing chromosomal rearrangements and tumor cell aggressiveness.

The control of chromosome segregation during mitosis in epithelial cells by substrate elasticity.

Materials of defined elasticity, including synthetic material scaffolds and tissue-derived matrices, can regulate biological responses of cells and in particular adhesion, migration, growth and differentiation which are essential parameters for tissue integration. These responses have been extensively investigated in interphase cells, but little is known whether and how material elasticity affects mitotic cells. We used polyelectrolyte multilayer films as model substrates with elastic modulus ranging from Eap = 0 up to Eap = 500 kPa and mitotic PtK2 epithelial cells to address these important questions. Soft substrates (Eap < 50 kPa) led to abnormal morphology in chromosome segregation, materialized by chromatin bridges and chromosome lagging. Frequency of these damages increased with decreasing substrate stiffness and was correlated with a pro-apoptotic phenotype. Mitotic spindle was not observed on soft substrates where formation of chromatin damages is due to low ß1-integrin engagement and decrease of Rac1 activities. This work constitutes the first evidence that soft substrates hinder epithelial cell division. In perspective, our findings emphasize the prime incidence of the material elasticity on the fate of the phenotype, especially of stem cells in the mitotic phase.