Formation of an extremely stable polyalanine beta-sheet macromolecule

Polyalanine-based peptides as models for self-associated beta-pleated-sheet complexes

The occurrence of beta-sheet motifs in a number of neurodegenerative disorders has brought about the need for the de novo design of soluble model beta-sheet complexes. Such model complexes are expected to further the understanding of the interconversion processes that occur from cellular allowed random coil or alpha-helical conformation into insoluble cell-deleterious beta-pleated-sheet motifs. In the present study, polyalanine-based peptides (i.e., derived from Ac-KA14K-NH2) were designed that underwent conformational changes from monomeric random coil conformations into soluble, macromolecular beta-pleated-sheet complexes without any covalent modification. The interconversion was found to be length-, environment-, and concentration-dependent and to be driven by hydrophobic interactions between the methyl groups of the alanine side chains. A series of substitution analogs of Ac-KA14K-NH2 was used to study the amino acid acceptability within the hydrophobic core of the complex, as well as at both termini. The formation of amyloid plaques in a number of amyloidogenic peptides could be related to the presence of amino acids within their sequences that were found to have a high propensity to occur in these model beta-sheet complexes.

Conformation of a water-soluble beta-sheet model peptide. A circular dichroism and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic study of double D-amino acid replacements

Among peptide secondary structures beta-sheet domains have been much less intensively studied than alpha-helical conformations, mainly because of the lack of well characterized model peptides. In the present paper the secondary structure of a water-soluble de novo peptide consisting of 26 amino acids (DPKGDPKGVTVTVTVTVTGKGDPKPD-NH2) and the corresponding double D-amino acid replacement set have been studied by circular dichroism and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The model peptide was found to be unstructured in aqueous solution at peptide concentrations < 10(-3) mol/L but to adopt a predominantly beta-sheet structure in the presence of 15 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate or at apolar/water interfaces. Although the peptide is composed of amino acids with low helical propensity, it formed a single-stranded helical structure in aqueous trifluoroethanol. The D-amino acid replacement set was synthesized in order to study the conformational stability of the model peptide selectively in distinct regions. The data show that both the alpha-helix present in 50% trifluoroethanol as well as the beta-sheet domain formed in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate or at apolar/water interfaces, are located in the region between Val9 and Thr18. Pairwise substitution of adjacent amino acids by their corresponding D-amino acids provides a pronounced beta-sheet disturbance. These findings demonstrate that double D-amino acid replacements may be used to locate beta-sheet domains in peptides.

Structural characterization and 5'-mononucleotide binding of polyalanine beta-sheet complexes

A study was initiated into the formation and stability of highly soluble beta-sheet macrostructures. Such beta-sheet macrostructures are useful model systems for the study of the biological function of the hydrophobic core of proteins and for the de novo design of novel catalytic mimics. In the current study, a 16-mer-alanine-based peptide (Ac-KA14K-NH2) that is highly water soluble and adopts an extremely stable macromolecular beta-sheet structure was synthesized. A tyrosine-containing analog (Ac-KYA13K-NH1) was used to study the tertiary structure of the complex by circular dichroism spectroscopy, while the influence of the charges on the complex formation and binding affinity was evaluated using a zwitterionic analog (Ac-KEA13KE-NH1). Both the secondary and tertiary structures of the beta-sheet complex were stable to denaturants, as demonstrated by far- and near-ultraviolet circular dichroism spectroscopy. Binding studies with mononucleotides have shown that the beta-sheet complex binds to molecules through both hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. These intrinsic properties were found to be a prerequisite for the observed enhanced cleavage of phosphodiester bonds.