beta-3-Peptide Helix Dimers of Defined Orientation

描述(申请人提供)：自然界中的折叠聚合物由相对简单的单体制成，但它们通过非共价相互作用网络采用复杂的折叠结构。非天然折叠聚合物，或折叠体，具有类似的多功能性。如果这些分子要充分发挥其作为生物和医学工具的潜力，那么控制折叠分子的结构是至关重要的。已经证明，即使在没有环约束的情况下，β-3-肽也能形成稳定的螺旋。在这种折叠结构的研究中，合乎逻辑的下一步是寻找能够采用明确定义的三级结构的β-3-肽，例如螺旋束和盘绕的螺旋。我们希望使用筛选方法从β-3-多肽文库中筛选出能够形成平行或反平行螺旋二聚体的多肽。这些实验将开始建立β-3-肽折叠分子的高阶结构形成规则，并为设计更复杂的结构打开大门。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Folded polymers in Nature are made from relatively simple monomers, but they adopt complex folded structures through networks of non-covalent interactions. Nonnatural folded polymers, or foldamers, have the potential for similar versatility. Control of foldamer structure is crucial if these molecules are to realize their full potential as tools in biology and medicine. beta-3-Peptides have been shown to form stable helices, even without cyclic constraints. The logical next step in the study of such foldamer structures is to search for beta-3-peptides that can adopt well defined tertiary structures, such as helical bundles and coiled coils. We hope to use screening methods to identify peptides that can form parallel or antiparallel helical dimers from a library of beta-3-peptides. These experiments will begin to establish the rules of higher order structure formation of beta-3-peptide foldamers and open the door to designing more complex structures.