Enzymatic Degradation of Glycosaminoglycans and Proteoglycan-Mimetic Materials in Solution and on Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Surfaces

Proteoglycans (PGs) play many important roles in biology, contributing to the mechanical properties of tissues, helping to organize extracellular matrix components, and participating in signaling mechanisms related to mechanotransduction, cell differentiation, immune responses, and wound healing. Our lab has designed two different types of PG mimics: polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles (PCNs) and PG-mimetic graft copolymers (GCs), both of which are prepared using naturally occurring glycosaminoglycans. This work evaluates the enzymatic stability of these PG mimics using hyaluronidases (I-S, IV-S, and II), chondroitinase ABC, and lysozyme, for PG mimics suspended in solution and adsorbed onto surfaces. Hyaluronan (HA)- and chondroitin sulfate (CS)-containing PG mimics are degraded by the hyaluronidases. PCNs prepared with CS and GCs prepared with heparin are the only CS- and HA-containing PG mimics protected from chondroitinase ABC. None of the materials are measurably degraded by lysozyme. Adsorption to polyelectrolyte multilayer surfaces protects PG mimics from degradation, compared to when PG mimics are combined with enzymes in solution; all surfaces are still intact after 21 days of enzyme exposure. This work reveals how the stability of PG mimics is controlled by both the composition and macromolecular assembly of the PG mimic and also by the size and specificity of the enzyme. Understanding and tuning these degradation susceptibilities are essential for advancing their applications in cardiovascular materials, orthopedic materials, and growth factor delivery applications.