beta-3-Peptide Helix Dimers of Defined Orientation

描述（由申请人提供）：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的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。如果这些分子要实现其作为生物学和医学工具的全部潜力，那么控制折叠体结构至关重要。β-3-肽已经显示出形成稳定的螺旋，甚至没有环状限制。研究这种折叠体结构的逻辑下一步是寻找可以采用明确的三级结构（如螺旋束和卷曲螺旋）的β-3-肽。我们希望使用筛选方法从β-3-肽库中鉴定能够形成平行或反平行螺旋二聚体的肽。这些实验将开始建立β-3-肽折叠体的高级结构形成规则，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.