PROTEIN ADDUCTS WITH WATER-SOLUBLE POLY(ALKYLENE OXIDES)

The review deals with methods of protein modification by amphiphilic water-soluble block copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide and also with characterization and properties of the resulting adducts. Two main classes of such adducts are considered - conjugates, which are the products of covalent coupling of polymers to protein globule, and non-covalent complexes. It is shown that conjugates of hydrophilic proteins with amphiphilic block copolymers gain a number of new properties such as a capability of penetrating the plasma membrane of thymus-derived lymphocytes; effective solubilization and transport of water-insoluble biologically active compounds, and an ability of interaction with various surface-active compounds.