Investigation of single-molecule kinetics mediated by weak hydrogen bonds within a biological nanopore

Langmuir. 2011 Jan 4;27(1):19-24. doi: 10.1021/la104264f. Epub 2010 Dec 3.

Abstract

The study of factors essential for protein-peptide interactions and protein pore-mediated peptide transport are of particular relevance in biology. Wild-type α-hemolysin was adopted as a "nanoreactor" in which perturbations of the current through a protein containing a lumen-residing, aryl-capped antimicrobial peptide were seen for the first time and studied at the single-molecule level. Energy and steric considerations hint that Met-aryl interactions between aromatic residues placed at a peptide's extremities and any of the methionines lining the α-hemolysin constriction region may be the primary cause of peptide stabilization within the lumen and may be particularly important to the peptide-α-hemolysin interaction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / chemistry
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / metabolism
  • Bacterial Toxins / chemistry*
  • Bacterial Toxins / metabolism*
  • Hemolysin Proteins / chemistry*
  • Hemolysin Proteins / metabolism*
  • Hydrogen Bonding
  • Kinetics
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nanopores*
  • Protein Binding
  • Staphylococcus aureus

Substances

  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
  • Bacterial Toxins
  • Hemolysin Proteins
  • staphylococcal alpha-toxin