Surface segregation of polypeptide-based block copolymer micelles: An approach to engineer nanostructured and stimuli responsive surfaces

We describe the surface segregation of polypeptide-based block copolymer micelles to produce stimuli-responsive nanostructures at the polymer blend/air interface. Such structures were obtained by simultaneous surface migration and self assembly at the surface of diblock copolymer/homopolymer blends. We employed blends composed of homopolymer (PS) and an amphiphilic block copolymer polystyrene-b-poly(l-glutamic acid) (PS-b-PGA). The surface was functionalized based on the preferential segregation to the polymer blend/air interface of the hydrophilic PGA block of the diblock copolymer upon annealing to water vapor. The surface migration of the diblock copolymer to the interface was demonstrated both by XPS and contact angle measurements. As a consequence, the PGA interfacial attraction leads to a large surface excess on diblock copolymer which in turn, through macrophase and microphase separation, produced separated domains at the surface with regions composed either of homo or block copolymer. Herein we demonstrate that the use of asymmetric diblock copolymers with a higher content in PS lead to spherical micellar assemblies randomly distributed at the surface. As observed by AFM imaging the blend composition, i.e. the amount of block copolymer within the blend influences the density of micelles at the surface. Finally, when exposed to water, the pH affects the surface morphology. The PGA segments are collapsed at low pH values and extended at pH values above 4.8, thus inducing variations on the topography of the films at the nanometer scale.     

Packed column supercritical fluid chromatography of isomeric polypeptide pairs

The characterization and determination of peptides is of great importance in the pharmaceutical industry as is the ability to rapidly perform targeted determinations of bioactive peptides in complex matrices. The purpose of the presented work is to assess the feasibility of packed column supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) for the separation of two-pairs of water soluble peptides of identical mass, composition and charge that differ only in amino acid sequence. Upon evaluating a variety of conditions, trifluoroacetic acid (HTFA) in conjunction with methanol as the modifier proved to be, in general, the most successful mobile phase additive for elution of the two isomeric peptide pairs from all nitrogenous stationary phases. In contrast, water and ammonium acetate gave distorted peak shapes and therefore proved to be less satisfactory as neutral additives. The basic additive, iso-propylamine (IPAm), coupled with HA-Pyridine yielded the highest resolution factor for the complete study. Aminopropyl and HA-Pyridine columns with 5 μm particle size and 60 Å pore size were found to be best for resolution of each peptide pair. Bare silica and phenyl-hexyl stationary phases did not afford any separation. The primary roles of the carbon dioxide and methanol modifier are believed to provide (a) stationary phase solvation and (b) peptide solubility and transport; while, HTFA is postulated to fully protonate each peptide and form ion pairs between its conjugate base and cationic peptide analyte. The separation process, therefore, is best viewed as ion pair supercritical fluid chromatography (IP-SFC). For the case where IPAm gave good resolution on the HA-Pyridine column, the peptides are probably in the neutral state.     

Genetic Fusion of Thermoresponsive Polypeptides with UCST-type Behavior Mediates 1D Assembly of Coiled-Coil Bundlemers

Thermoresponsive resilin-like polypeptides (RLPs) of various lengths were genetically fused to two different computationally designed coiled coil-forming peptides with distinct thermal stability, to develop new strategies to assemble coiled coil peptides via temperature-triggered phase separation of the RLP units. Their successful production in bacterial expression hosts was verified via gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, and amino acid analysis. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV/Vis) turbidimetry, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements confirmed the stability of the coiled coils and showed that the thermosensitive phase behavior of the RLPs was preserved in the genetically fused hybrid polypeptides. Cryogenic-transmission electron microscopy and coarse-grained modeling revealed that functionalizing the coiled coils with thermoresponsive RLPs leads to their thermally triggered noncovalent assembly into nanofibrillar assemblies.     

Ultra-high-stability,pH-resistant sol–gel titania poly(tetrahydrofuran) coating for capillary microextraction on-line coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography

A sol–gel titania poly(tetrahydrofuran) (poly-THF) coating was developed for capillary microextraction hyphenated on-line with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Poly-THF was covalently bonded to the sol–gel titania network which, in turn, became chemically anchored to the inner surface of a 0.25 mm I.D. fused silica capillary. For sample preconcentration, a 38-cm segment of the sol–gel titania poly-THF coated capillary was installed on an HPLC injection port as a sampling loop. Aqueous samples containing a variety of analytes were passed through the capillary and, during this process, the analytes were extracted by the sol–gel titania poly-THF coating on the inner surface of the capillary. Using isocratic and gradient elution with acetonitrile/water mobile phases, the extracted analytes were desorbed into the on-line coupled HPLC column for separation and UV detection. The sol–gel titania poly-THF coating was especially efficient in extracting polar analytes, such as underivatized phenols, alcohols, amines, and aromatic carboxylic acids. In addition, this coating was capable of extracting moderately polar and nonpolar analytes, such as ketones and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The sol–gel titania poly-THF coated capillary was also able to extract polypeptides at pH values near their respective isoelectric points. Extraction of these compounds can be important for environmental and biomedical applications. The observed extraction behavior can be attributed to the polar and nonpolar moieties in the poly-THF structure. This coating was found to be stable under extremely low and high pH conditions—even after 18 h of exposure to 1 M HCl (pH ≈0.0) and 1 M NaOH (pH ≈14.0).     

Molecular orbital calculations on the conformation of polypeptides and proteins

Quantum mechanical calculations using the PCILO method have been performed on the tripeptide model CH₃CO-X-Y-NHCH₃. Competition between C₅, C₇, C₁₀ rings and open structures has been investigated through mapping of the whole {φ, Ψ} conformational space and energy minimization. From these results, it appears that the C₁₀ ring simulating the folding named U-turn, involving a hydrogen bond between the i...i + 3 residues, is the most probable structure although not the most stable in energy. The results are used for predicting the frequency of U-turns in proteins, α-chymotrypsin is given as an example.     

多肽的反相梯度加压毛细管电色谱分离

以C18为固定相，采用电压和压力联合驱动流动相，研究反相加压毛细管电色谱分离多肽；考察了加压电色谱中，电压对带电和中性物质迁移的影响，实现了梯度加压毛细管电色谱分离6种多肽；结果表明，加压电色谱可以很好地抑制气泡形成，实验结果准确，重复性好；梯度加压毛细管电色谱在复杂样品的分离分析中，具有很大的潜力。     

Sequence Analysis of Polypeptides and Proteins by Combined Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

A new method for determining the amino acid sequence of polypeptides consists in initial partial hydrolysis to yield a complex mixture of oligopeptides. After derivatization to enhance its volatility, the mixture is analyzed by combined gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The sequence of the polypeptide is established by a computer from the identified oligopeptides. So far polypeptides having up to 40 amino acids have been analyzed by this method. The advantages and disadvantages of the new method compared with the stepwise procedure of the Edman degradation are considered. Since the two methods are based on fundamentally different principles they may prove to be complementary.     

核酸适配体在多肽研究中的应用

多肽在生命体的生理过程中发挥着重要作用,其生理功能一直是生物学、药理学和医学等领域的重要研究内容.核酸适配体是经体外筛选获得的单链DNA或RNA,能与靶标高亲和力、高特异性地结合,有"化学抗体"或"化学家的抗体"之称.以多肽为靶标筛选获得的核酸适配体主要有两大用途:一是基于其识别功能,作为亲和试剂来建立分析检测方法或开展生物成像研究;二是基于它们的生物学活性,作为拮抗剂在活体水平影响靶标多肽的正常功能,阻碍下游信号通路,从而对疾病进行治疗.本文总结了近年来以多肽为靶标筛选的核酸适配体在体内及体外的用途,并探讨了其在筛选、表征及应用中存在的问题,并对其未来的发展趋势进行了展望.     

Effect of variations in peptide parameters and charges on the unperturbed dimensions of polypeptide chains

The net charges on various atoms of poly (l-alanine), polyglycine, poly (N-methyl-l-alanine) and poly (N-methylglycine) were computed using the MOLCAO method of Del Re forσ charges and the Hückel MO method forπ charges. The characteristic ratiosC _∞ were computed for all the above polypeptide chains, with different sets of parameters for the peptide unit. The calculated values ofC _∞ are found to be very sensitive to the input peptide geometry. The calculated value of 2·2 forC _∞ of poly (N-methylglycine) obtained with set-3 parameters (derived from a crystal structure containing prolyl residue) is closer to the experimental value of 1·8±0·2 than the value of 2·7 obtained with set 1 (Pauling-Corey parameters), suggesting that the peptide parameters of N-substituted aminoacids have close similarity to set 3 rather than to set 1. The calculated values ofC _∞ of the polypeptide chains show no correlation with the number of allowed conformations, suggesting that the ratio ofC _∞/C _f need not always provide information about the flexibility or freedom of rotation of chain units. Contribution No. 57 from the Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, INDIA.     

Synthesis of naturally occurring polypeptides, problems of current research

The synthesis of naturally occurring polypeptides has recently again become a center of interest. It therefore seems appropriate to make a critical appraisal of the present state of research, and at the same time to try to eliminate much of the element of chance from the solution of the problems that face us. An attempt will be made to group the preparation methods commonly used in the past into four strategies, to point out their advantages, and to uncover their disadvantages. The ultimate aim in the synthesis of naturally occurring peptides must always be a true, clean synthesis.