Collagen-Related Peptides:  Self-Assembly of Short, Single Strands into a Functional Biomaterial of Micrometer Scale

Mabel A. Cejas, William A. Kinney, Cailin Chen, Gregory C. Leo, Brett A. Tounge, Jeremy G. Vinter, Pratik Joshi, Bruce E. Maryanoff

Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2007 · 141 citations · 11 references

Concepts

Abstract

We have designed, synthesized, and characterized a short (32-mer; 8-nm), single-stranded, collagen-related peptide (CRP), 1a, which forms triple-helical building blocks that self-assemble into large, composite fibrils by strictly noncovalent means. Computational analysis suggested that the installation of complementary, aromatic π-stacking recognition elements at the N- and C-termini of (Gly-Pro-Hyp) 10 would facilitate the head-to-tail assembly of triple-helical subunits. Our CD, 1 H NMR, DLS, and TEM results for 1a support the formation of such triple-helical, supramolecular structures. Consistent with self-assembly into micrometer-size, composite fibrils, 1a induced the aggregation of human platelets with nearly the same potency as native Type I collagen. The aromatic−aromatic recognition motif employed in this study provides a straightforward approach to collagen-mimetics and has important implications for the design of triple-helical building blocks that can spontaneously oligomerize into functional fibrillar structures.

References

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