Effect of ligand orientation on hepatocyte attachment onto the poly(N-p-vinyl benzyl-o-$\beta$-D-galactopyranosyl-D-gluconamide)

The orientation effect of galactose ligand on hepatocyte attachment was investigated. Poly(N-p-vinyl benzyl-o-${\beta}$-D-galactopyranosyl-D-gluconamide) (PVLA), a ${\beta}$-galactose-carrying styrene homo-polymer, was used as a model ligand for the asialoglycoprotein receptors on hepatocytes. PYVA was transferred onto the poly(${\gamma}$-benzyl L-glutamate)(PBLG) or PBLG/ poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG)/PBLG Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films as the monolayer level. The dichroic fluorescence values of confocal microscope indicated that the PVLA transferred onto the LB films was located with a preferential orientation of its molecular axes with regard to the direction of the a-helix of polypeptide. Hepatocyte recognized well-oriented galactose moieties of the surface of PVLA through asialoglycoprotein receptors.