Amphiphilic Histidine-Based Oligopeptides Exhibit pH-Reversible Fibril Formation

ACS Macro Lett. 2021 Aug 17;10(8):984-989. doi: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.1c00142. Epub 2021 Jul 15.

Abstract

We report the design, simulation, synthesis, and reversible self-assembly of nanofibrils using polyhistidine-based oligopeptides. The inclusion of aromatic amino acids in the histidine block produces distinct antiparallel β-strands that lead to the formation of amyloid-like fibrils. The structures undergo self-assembly in response to a change in pH. This creates the potential to produce well-defined fibrils for biotechnological and biomedical applications that are pH-responsive in a physiologically relevant range.