Abstract
Background: Conventional nanofiber forming peptide amphiphiles comprise a beta sheet forming, short peptide sequence with an alkyl chain attached at one terminus. We report the selfassembly of a peptide amphiphile possessing a mid-chain located alkyl substituent (a T-shaped peptide amphiphile) into nanofiber networks.
Method: Peptide synthesis was carried out using standard 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl solid phase peptide synthesis protocols, followed by covalent attachment of the alkyl chains to yield target peptide amphiphiles. Self-assembly was then studied using electron microscopy and coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations.
Results: T-shaped peptide amphiphiles self-assembled into nanofibers just like linear peptide amphiphiles, but then unlike linear peptide amphiphiles, T-shaped peptide amphiphiles formed inter-fiber associations and ultimately nanofiber networks.
Conclusion: Changing the position of the alkyl chain in a peptide amphiphile from the terminal end of the peptide to the middle part of the peptide, to form a T-shaped peptide amphiphile, does not disrupt the molecular interactions required for the self-assembly of the peptide amphiphiles into nanofibers.
Method: Peptide synthesis was carried out using standard 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl solid phase peptide synthesis protocols, followed by covalent attachment of the alkyl chains to yield target peptide amphiphiles. Self-assembly was then studied using electron microscopy and coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations.
Results: T-shaped peptide amphiphiles self-assembled into nanofibers just like linear peptide amphiphiles, but then unlike linear peptide amphiphiles, T-shaped peptide amphiphiles formed inter-fiber associations and ultimately nanofiber networks.
Conclusion: Changing the position of the alkyl chain in a peptide amphiphile from the terminal end of the peptide to the middle part of the peptide, to form a T-shaped peptide amphiphile, does not disrupt the molecular interactions required for the self-assembly of the peptide amphiphiles into nanofibers.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 215-219 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology |
Volume | 5 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 11 Jan 2018 |