Expanding the Conformational Landscape of Minimalistic Tripeptides by Their O-Glycosylation

J Am Chem Soc. 2021 Dec 1;143(47):19703-19710. doi: 10.1021/jacs.1c07592. Epub 2021 Nov 19.

Abstract

We report on the supramolecular self-assembly of tripeptides and their O-glycosylated analogues, in which the carbohydrate moiety is coupled to a central serine or threonine flanked by phenylalanine residues. The substitution of serine with threonine introduces differential side-chain interactions, which results in the formation of aggregates with different morphology. O-glycosylation decreases the aggregation propensity because of rebalancing of the π interactions. The glycopeptides form aggregates with reduced stiffness but increased thermal stability. Our results demonstrate that the designed minimalistic glycopeptides retain critical functional features of glycoproteins and therefore are promising tools for elucidation of molecular mechanisms involved in the glycoprotein interactome. They can also serve as an inspiration for the design of functional glycopeptide-based biomaterials.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Glycoproteins / chemistry
  • Glycoproteins / metabolism*
  • Glycosylation
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Oligopeptides / chemistry
  • Oligopeptides / metabolism*
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Multimerization

Substances

  • Glycoproteins
  • Oligopeptides