Biosynthesis and characterization of a novel Fmoc-tetrapeptide based hydrogel for biotechnological applications

The applications of peptide-based materials are currently expanding, especially in the biomedical field. The biocompatibility and biodegradability of peptide materials, as well as their ability to assemble into ordered secondary structures, are indeed ideal for biotechnological applications. However, their full potential will be exploited once novel synthetic procedures are developed for advanced applications. In this work, we explored the ability of Pseudomonas fluorescens lipase to biosynthesize the self-assembled tetrapeptide FmocPheGlyPhe2 for tissue regeneration. In gel phase, these self-assembling tetrapeptides form a long interconnected nanofibrillar network, as is evident from SEM analysis. Mass spectrometry analysis was used to verify the in vitro formation of the tetrapeptide. Moreover, we characterized the rheological and chemico-physical properties of the obtained materials and studied their in vitro biocompatibility with mammalian fibroblasts. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.