Coassembly in binary mixtures of peptide amphiphiles containing oppositely charged residues

Langmuir. 2013 Apr 23;29(16):5050-9. doi: 10.1021/la400163q. Epub 2013 Apr 11.

Abstract

The self-assembly in water of designed peptide amphiphile (PA) C16-ETTES containing two anionic residues and its mixtures with C16-KTTKS containing two cationic residues has been investigated. Multiple spectroscopy, microscopy, and scattering techniques are used to examine ordering extending from the β-sheet structures up to the fibrillar aggregate structure. The peptide amphiphiles both comprise a hexadecyl alkyl chain and a charged pentapeptide headgroup containing two charged residues. For C16-ETTES, the critical aggregation concentration was determined by fluorescence experiments. FTIR and CD spectroscopy were used to examine β-sheet formation. TEM revealed highly extended tape nanostructures with some striped regions corresponding to bilayer structures viewed edge-on. Small-angle X-ray scattering showed a main 5.3 nm bilayer spacing along with a 3 nm spacing. These spacings are assigned respectively to predominant hydrated bilayers and a fraction of dehydrated bilayers. Signs of cooperative self-assembly are observed in the mixtures, including reduced bundling of peptide amphiphile aggregates (extended tape structures) and enhanced β-sheet formation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Circular Dichroism
  • Membranes, Artificial*
  • Peptides / chemistry*
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared

Substances

  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Peptides