Minimalistic supramolecular proteoglycan mimics by co-assembly of aromatic peptide and carbohydrate amphiphiles

We report the co-assembly of aromatic carbohydrate and dipeptide amphiphiles under physiological

conditions as a strategy to generate minimalistic proteoglycan mimics. The resulting nanofibers present

a structural, fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-diphenylalanine (Fmoc-FF) core and a functional carbohydrate

(Fmoc-glucosamine-6-sulfate or -phosphate) shell. The size, degree of bundling and mechanical

properties of the assembled structures depend on the chemical nature of the carbohydrate amphiphile

used. In cell culture medium, these nanofibers can further organize into supramolecular hydrogels. We

demonstrate that, similar to proteoglycans, the assembled gels prolong the stability of growth factors

and preserve the viability of cultured cells. Our results demonstrate that this approach can be applied to

the design of extracellular matrix (ECM) substitutes for future regenerative therapies.