Hierarchical approach for the rational construction of helix-containing nanofibrils using α,β-peptides

Nanoscale. 2021 Feb 25;13(7):4000-4015. doi: 10.1039/d0nr04313c.

Abstract

The rational design of novel self-assembled nanomaterials based on peptides remains a great challenge in modern chemistry. A hierarchical approach for the construction of nanofibrils based on α,β-peptide foldamers is proposed. The incorporation of a helix-promoting trans-(1S,2S)-2-aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acid residue in the outer positions of the model coiled-coil peptide led to its increased conformational stability, which was established consistently by the results of CD, NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy. The designed oligomerization state in the solution of the studied peptides was confirmed using analytical ultracentrifugation. Moreover, the cyclopentane side chain allowed additional interactions between coiled-coil-like structures to direct the self-assembly process towards the formation of well-defined nanofibrils, as observed using AFM and TEM techniques.

MeSH terms

  • Circular Dichroism
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Peptides*
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • Ultracentrifugation

Substances

  • Peptides