Polypeptide films and methods

A multilayer film, said film comprising two or more layers of polyelectrolytes, wherein adjacent layers comprise oppositely charged polyelectrolytes,

• wherein the first layer polyelectrolyte comprises a hybrid polypeptide comprising a first polypeptide segment and a second polypeptide segment covalently joined by one or more non-peptidic linkages;
• wherein the first polypeptide segment comprises a polypeptide having a magnitude of net charge per residue of greater than or equal to 0.4, and a length of greater than or equal to about 12 amino acid residues;
• wherein the second polypeptide segment comprises a functional region comprising 3 to about 250 amino acids selected from the group consisting of a cysteine-containing sequence, a sequence for extracellular matrix recognition, a phosphotyrosine binding domain, a Src homology 2 domain, an N-linked glycosylation substrate sequence, an O-linked glycosylation substrate sequence, a protease recognition site, an antimicrobial peptide sequence, a BAG domain, a T-cell epitope, or a combination thereof;
• wherein the N-terminus of the first polypeptide segment is joined to the C-terminus of the second polypeptide segment, the N-terminus of the first polypeptide segment is joined to the N-terminus of the second polypeptide segment, the C-terminus of the first polypeptide segment is joined to the C-terminus of the second polypeptide segment, or the C-terminus of the first polypeptide segment is joined to the N-terminus of the second polypeptide segment by the one or more non-peptidic linkages;
• and
• wherein the second layer polyelectrolyte comprises a polycationic material or a polyanionic material having a molecular weight of greater than 1,000, at least 5 charges per molecule, and a charge opposite that of the first layer polypeptide.