Development of a structural and functional foundation for single-component cyclic rippled β-sheets, a novel supramolecular architecture.

Project Description

The incorporation of D-amino acids into proteins and peptides is a versatile strategy that generates mixed chirality frameworks with unique structural and functional properties. An example of a mixed chirality framework is the rippled β-sheet, which was first proposed as a theoretical concept by Pauling and Corey in 1953. The term was used to describe the periodic structural topography that arises when peptides are mixed with their mirror images (D + L) in an equimolar ratio. Single-component cyclic rippled β-sheets, composed of joined segments of L and D chirality, represent an unexplored structural class with the potential for unique properties and applications. We will use the facilities at BioPacific MIP to build a comprehensive structural understanding of both the one-dimensional and three-dimensional states of these molecules, with the goal of rationally designing rippled β-sheet materials.

Instruments