An alpha/beta-peptide helix bundle with a pure beta3-amino acid core and a distinctive quaternary structure

J Am Chem Soc. 2009 Jul 29;131(29):9860-1. doi: 10.1021/ja8099294.

Abstract

Helix bundles are among the most widely studied tertiary and quaternary structural motifs in proteins. Here we present the crystal structure of an alpha/beta-peptide foldamer that adopts a tetrameric helix-bundle quaternary structure with a hydrophobic core composed solely of beta-amino acids. The structure displays features that are unprecedented among all known helix bundles composed of either alpha-peptides or peptidic foldamers. The tetramer is characterized by an asymmetry of interaction between neighboring helices, and the side-chain packing within the hydrophobic core differs fundamentally from the knobs-into-holes arrangement typical of most helix bundles.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Amino Acids / chemistry*
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptides / chemistry*
  • Protein Structure, Quaternary
  • Protein Structure, Secondary

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Peptides