Transient self-assembly of dipeptide nanofibers with lifetimes that are predictably variable through dipeptide sequence design are presented. This was achieved using 1,8-naphthalimide (NI) amino acid methyl-esters (Phe, Tyr, Leu) that are biocatalytically coupled to amino acid-amides (Phe, Tyr, Leu, Val, Ala, Ser) to form self-assembling NI-dipeptides. However, competing hydrolysis of the dipeptides results in disassembly. It was demonstrated that the kinetic parameters like lifetimes of these nanofibers can be predictably regulated by the thermodynamic parameter, namely the self-assembly propensity of the constituent dipeptide sequence. These lifetimes could vary from minutes, to hours, to permanent gels that do not degrade. Moreover, the in-built NI fluorophore was utilized to image the transient nanostructures in solution with stimulated emission depletion (STED) based super-resolution fluorescence microscopy.
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bioRxiv
December 2024
Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
The self-assembly of intrinsically disordered proteins into biomolecular condensates shows a dependence on the primary sequence of the protein, leading to sequence-dependent phase separation. Methods to investigate this sequence-dependent phase separation rely on effective residue-level interaction potentials that quantify the propensity for the residues to remain in the dilute phase versus the dense phase. The most direct measure of these effective potentials are the distribution coefficients of the different amino acids between the two phases, but due to the lack of availability of these coefficients, proxies, most notably hydropathy, have been used.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSmall Methods
December 2024
Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Knowledge city, Sector 81 Manauli PO, SAS Nagar, 140306, India.
The future of next-generation electronics relies on low-cost organic semiconductors that are tailored to simultaneously provide all requisite optoelectronic properties, focusing greatly on ambipolar charge-transport and solution processability. In this regard, room-temperature discotic liquid crystals (DLCs) are potential candidates, where quasi-1D self-assembly affords a charge-transport channel along their columnar axis. This work shows a molecular design strategy by utilizing anthraquinone as the primary motif, surrounded by ester functionalized tri-alkoxy phenyl units to develop room-temperature DLCs (1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Appl Mater Interfaces
December 2024
School of Chemistry, Food Biosciences and Pharmacy, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AD, U.K.
Short bioactive peptide sequences are of great interest in biomaterials development. We investigate the self-assembly of a lipopeptide containing both the highly cationic CSK toll-like receptor agonist hexapeptide sequence and RGDS integrin-binding motif, i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Chem Neurosci
December 2024
PhD Programs in Chemistry and Biochemistry, the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, New York 10016, United States.
Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the onset of COVID-19 have been linked to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. While a variety of mechanisms may ultimately be responsible for the onset of type 2 diabetes under these circumstances, one mechanism that has been postulated involves the increased aggregation of human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) through direct interaction with SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins. Previous computational studies investigating this possibility revealed that a nine-residue peptide fragment known as SK9 (SFYVYSRVK) from the SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein can stabilize the native conformation of hIAPP by interacting with the N-terminal region of amylin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdv Healthc Mater
November 2024
Department for Synthesis of Macromolecules, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany.
Injuries to the nervous system lead to irreversible damage and limited functional recovery. The peripheral nervous system (PNS) can self-regenerate to some extent for short nerve gaps. In contrast, the central nervous system (CNS) has an intrinsic limitation to self-repair owing to its convoluted neural microenvironment and inhibitory response.
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