Polyelectrolyte-protein complexes

Nowadays polyelectrolyte and protein complexes are used in many areas. These complexes have a high potential of usage in terms of composing biologically important mechanisms and biomedical applications. Functional properties of proteins can be improved by creating complexes by polymers. The most important results have been obtained by usage of the complexes in immunology. Immunological improved proteins and viruses have provided to develop strong vaccine systems. When artificial antigen is used, it is not needed to use adjuvant to get an immune response. Stimulation of antibody formation is provided in animals with timus or without timus. In this study polyelectrolyte concenpt is firstly was clarified. Information about of structures and classification of polyelectrolytes was given. Synthesis methods with free-radical polymerization, ionic polymerization, stepwise polymerization and chemical modification were explained. Exeminations about developments of natural and syntetical classified polyelectrolytes, formation of proteins and complexes, their structure ? property relations, interactions and applications were made. Characterization technics of the formed complexes like AFM, EM, OM, DLS, ELS, IR, potantiometry, DSC, SEC, ACE, etc. were explained in detail and informations about their applications on literature were represented. Moreover on this work, experimental studies about the usage of complexes in immunology were given. The results of examinations on aqueous solutions of BSA mixtures with polyelectrolyte like PVP, PAA and PSSNa were given. According to these results immugenity of mixtures depends on the strustures of polyelectrolyte?s and stability of the established complexes. Furthermore, immunological effects of polyelectrolyte complexes are examined on infections like tuberculosis and influenza by searching the ways to pass from artificial antigens to artificial vaccinees. Key words: Polyelectrolyte, polymerization, atomic force microscopy (AFM), electron microscopy (EM), BSA, SEC, immunology, AFM, EM, BSA, SEC, immunoloji, antigen