Effects of salt concentrations on the structural transitions of peptide-amphiphile solution

2014 ◽  
Vol 1622 ◽  
pp. 147-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Otsuka ◽  
Atsushi Hotta

ABSTRACTA new peptide amphiphile (PA) called C16-W3K has hierarchical structures, presenting unique solution states, micelle structures, and secondary structures. In this work, the effects of salt (sodium dihydrogenorthophosphate) concentration on the hierarchical structural transitions of the C16-W3K solution due to its active hydrogen bonding in the peptide were discussed. In order to analyze the effects of salt on the structural transitions, the mechanical and structural analyses were conducted by viscosity measurements, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and circular dichroic (CD) spectroscopy. It was found that the C16-W3K solutions with different salt concentrations presented different multi-scale structural transitions from spherical micelles with α-helix molecular conformations in the sol state to wormlike micelles with β-sheet conformations in the gel state. Additionally, we found that the speed of transition increased as the salt concentration increased and the conformational ratio of β-sheet to α-helix in the solutions increased with the increase in the salt concentration.

1997 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui-Fen Zhang ◽  
Leonard J. Francl ◽  
James G. Jordahl ◽  
Steven W. Meinhardt

Cultivar-specific toxic metabolites of Pyrenophora tritici-repentis are involved in the appearance of necrotic and chlorotic foliar lesions characteristic of tan spot. A P. tritici-repentis necrosis-inducing toxin, Ptr necrosis toxin, was purified from isolate 86-124, sequenced by gas-phase amino acid microsequencing, and characterized by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and isoelectric focusing. The purified protein had a similar amino acid composition and molecular weight as previously reported. Analysis of the CD spectrum from 178 to 250 nm indicated a protein consisting of 13% α-helix, 36% antiparallel β-sheet, 25% turns, and 25% other structures. The Ptr necrosis toxin from isolate 86-124 has an isoelectric point near pH 10. Using overlapping proteolytic fragments obtained from the toxin, a sequence of 101 continuous amino acids was obtained, but the amino terminus was blocked and 9 to 16 amino acids could not be sequenced. Secondary structure prediction based on the amino acid sequence indicated a β-sheet protein with little α-helix, which is in agreement with the structure determined by CD spectroscopy. Sequence analysis indicated the presence of a possible membrane adhesion site and several possible phosphorylation sites that may be involved in phytotoxicity.


2020 ◽  
pp. 108201322096261
Author(s):  
Jia Li ◽  
Bixiang Wang ◽  
Yang He ◽  
Liankui Wen ◽  
Hailong Nan ◽  
...  

Anthocyanins have good physiological functions, but they are unstable. The interaction between anthocyanins and proteins can improve the stability, nutritional and functional properties of the complex. This paper reviews the structural changes of complex of anthocyanins interacting with proteins from different sources. By circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, it was found that the contents of α-helix (from 15.90%−42.40% to 17.60%−52.80%) or β-sheet (from 29.00%−50.00% to 29.40%−57.00%) of the anthocyanins–proteins complex increased. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the regions of amide I (from 1627.87−1641.41 cm−1 to 1643.34−1651.02 cm−1) and amide II (from 1537.00−1540.25 cm−1 to 1539.00−1543.75 cm−1) of anthocyanins–proteins complex were shifted. Fluorescence spectroscopy showed that the fluorescence intensity of the complex decreased from 150−5100 to 40−3900 a.u. The thermodynamic analysis showed that there were hydrophobic interactions, electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions between anthocyanins and proteins. The kinetic analysis showed that the half-life and activation energy of the complex increased. The stability, antioxidant, digestion, absorption, and emulsification of the complex were improved. This provides a reference for the study and application of anthocyanins and proteins interactions.


2020 ◽  
pp. 004051752097562
Author(s):  
Yifan Zhang ◽  
Ronghui Wu ◽  
Aniruddha Patil ◽  
Liyun Ma ◽  
Rui Yu ◽  
...  

Silk fibroin (SF) material receives a great deal of attention in the biomedical field for its extensive mechanical performance and applications due to its singular structure/properties and applications, especially hierarchical structure. Here, we blended polyethylene glycol (PEG) into SF solutions that reconstruct the hierarchical micro structure of SF. The effect of PEG on the SF gelation process was in situ observed through rheological measurement and optical density changes. The structural change of SF/PEG blended films with different concentrations and their effects on the mechanical performance were investigated. The results indicated that with increasing PEG content, the β-sheet content of the films increased with the α-helix declining, which enables a composite film with a fracture strain exceeding 300%, Young's modulus exceeding 200 MPa and a fracture strength exceeding 20 MPa. The culture of MC-3T3 proves that the film is beneficial for cell proliferation and adhesion. By constructing the mesoscopic structure of SF, the plasticized silk materials provide great options for biodegradable and flexible protein-based materials.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Price ◽  
Tayler D. Hill ◽  
Kaitlyn A. Hutson ◽  
Blaze W. Rightnowar ◽  
Sean D. Moran

ABSTRACTMitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, which is a critical step in apoptosis, is initiated upon transmembrane insertion of the C-terminal α-helix (α9) of the pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family protein BAX. The isolated α9 fragment (residues 173-192) is also competent to disrupt model membranes, and the structures of its membrane-associated oligomers are of interest in understanding the potential roles of this sequence in apoptosis. Here, we used ultrafast two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) spectroscopy, thioflavin T binding, and transmission electron microscopy to show that the synthetic BAX α9 peptide (α9p) forms amyloid aggregates in solution and on the surfaces of anionic small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs). Its inherent amyloidogenicity was predicted by sequence analysis, and 2D IR spectra reveal that SUVs modulate the β-sheet structures of the resulting amyloid species. These results contradict prior models of transmembrane α9p pores and motivate further examination of the formation or suppression of BAX amyloids in apoptosis.


2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (16) ◽  
pp. 5993-6001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garry W. Buchko ◽  
Chang-Yub Kim ◽  
Thomas C. Terwilliger ◽  
Michael A. Kennedy

ABSTRACT The Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein Rv2302 (80 residues; molecular mass of 8.6 kDa) has been characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. While the biochemical function of Rv2302 is still unknown, recent microarray analyses show that Rv2302 is upregulated in response to starvation and overexpression of heat shock proteins and, consequently, may play a role in the biochemical processes associated with these events. Rv2302 is a monomer in solution as shown by size exclusion chromatography and NMR spectroscopy. CD spectroscopy suggests that Rv2302 partially unfolds upon heating and that this unfolding is reversible. Using NMR-based methods, the solution structure of Rv2302 was determined. The protein contains a five-strand, antiparallel β-sheet core with one C-terminal α-helix (A61 to A75) nestled against its side. Hydrophobic interactions between residues in the α-helix and β-strands 3 and 4 hold the α-helix near the β-sheet core. The electrostatic potential on the solvent-accessible surface is primarily negative with the exception of a positive arginine pocket composed of residues R18, R70, and R74. Steady-state {1H}-15N heteronuclear nuclear Overhauser effects indicate that the protein's core is rigid on the picosecond timescale. The absence of amide cross-peaks for residues G13 to H19 in the 1H-15N heteronuclear single quantum correlation spectrum suggests that this region, a loop between β-strands 1 and 2, undergoes motion on the millisecond to microsecond timescale. Dali searches using the structure closest to the average structure do not identify any high similarities to any other known protein structure, suggesting that the structure of Rv2302 may represent a novel protein fold.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 1787
Author(s):  
Bo Li ◽  
Xuesong Wang ◽  
Xin Gao ◽  
Jun Mei ◽  
Jing Xie

The research evaluated the effects of locust bean gum (LBG) and sodium alginate (SA) active coatings containing 0.15, 0.30 or 0.60% lemon verbena (Lippa citriodora Kunth.) essential oil (LVEO) on the bacterial diversity and myofibrillar proteins (MPs) of large yellow croaker during refrigerated storage at 4 °C for 18 days. Variability in the dominant bacterial community in different samples on the 0, 9th and 18th day was observed. Pseudomonas and Shewanella were the two major genera identified during refrigerated storage. At the beginning, the richness of Pseudomonas was about 37.31% and increased for control (CK) samples during refrigerated storage, however, the LVEO-treated samples increased sharply from day 0 to the 9th day and then decreased. LBG-SA coatings containing LVEO treatments significantly delayed MPs oxidation by retarding the formation of free carbonyl compounds and maintaining higher sulfhydryl content, higher Ca2+-ATPase activity, better organized secondary (higher contents of α-helix and β-sheet) and tertiary structures during refrigerated storage. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) images showed that the integrity of the sarcomere was damaged; the boundaries of the H-, A-, and I-bands, Z-disk, and M-line were fuzzy in the CK samples at the end of storage. However, the LVEO-treated samples were still regular in appearance with distinct dark A-bands, light I-bands, and Z-disk. In brief, LBG-SA active coatings containing LVEO treatments suggested a feasible method for protecting the MPs of large yellow croaker during refrigerated storage.


Polymers ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Tomonori Waku ◽  
Naoyuki Hirata ◽  
Masamichi Nozaki ◽  
Kanta Nogami ◽  
Shigeru Kunugi ◽  
...  

Morphological control of nanostructures that are composed of amphiphilic di- or tri-block molecules by external stimuli broadens their applications for molecular containers, nanoreactors, and controlled release materials. In this study, triblock amphiphiles comprising oligo(ethylene glycol), oligo(l-lysine), and tetra(l-phenylalanine) were prepared for the construction of nanostructures that can transform accompanying α-to-β transition of core-forming peptides. Circular dichroic (CD) measurements showed that the triblock amphiphiles adopted different secondary structures depending on the solvent environment: they adopt β-sheet structures in aqueous solution, while α-helix structures in 25% 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) solution under basic pH conditions. Transmission electron microscopic (TEM) observation revealed that the triblock amphiphiles formed vesicle structures in 25% TFE aq. Solvent exchange from 25% TFE to water induced morphological transformation from vesicles to arc-shaped nanostructures accompanying α-β conformational transition. The transformable nanostructures may be useful as novel smart nanomaterials for molecular containers and micro reactors.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 486-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Xin Peng ◽  
Xue-Hui Liu ◽  
Bo Lu ◽  
Si-Ming Liao ◽  
Feng Zhou ◽  
...  

Background:The polysialic acid (polySia) is a unique carbohydrate polymer produced on the surface Of Neuronal Cell Adhesion Molecule (NCAM) in a number of cancer cells, and strongly correlates with the migration and invasion of tumor cells and with aggressive, metastatic disease and poor clinical prognosis in the clinic. Its synthesis is catalyzed by two polysialyltransferases (polySTs), ST8SiaIV (PST) and ST8SiaII (STX). Selective inhibition of polySTs, therefore, presents a therapeutic opportunity to inhibit tumor invasion and metastasis due to NCAM polysialylation. Heparin has been found to be effective in inhibiting the ST8Sia IV activity, but no clear molecular rationale. It has been found that polysialyltransferase domain (PSTD) in polyST plays a significant role in influencing polyST activity, and thus it is critical for NCAM polysialylation based on the previous studies.Objective:To determine whether the three different types of heparin (unfractionated hepain (UFH), low molecular heparin (LMWH) and heparin tetrasaccharide (DP4)) is bound to the PSTD; and if so, what are the critical residues of the PSTD for these binding complexes?Methods:Fluorescence quenching analysis, the Circular Dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and NMR spectroscopy were used to determine and analyze interactions of PSTD-UFH, PSTD-LMWH, and PSTD-DP4.Results:The fluorescence quenching analysis indicates that the PSTD-UFH binding is the strongest and the PSTD-DP4 binding is the weakest among these three types of the binding; the CD spectra showed that mainly the PSTD-heparin interactions caused a reduction in signal intensity but not marked decrease in α-helix content; the NMR data of the PSTD-DP4 and the PSTDLMWH interactions showed that the different types of heparin shared 12 common binding sites at N247, V251, R252, T253, S257, R265, Y267, W268, L269, V273, I275, and K276, which were mainly distributed in the long α-helix of the PSTD and the short 3-residue loop of the C-terminal PSTD. In addition, three residues K246, K250 and A254 were bound to the LMWH, but not to DP4. This suggests that the PSTD-LMWH binding is stronger than the PSTD-DP4 binding, and the LMWH is a more effective inhibitor than DP4.Conclusion:The findings in the present study demonstrate that PSTD domain is a potential target of heparin and may provide new insights into the molecular rationale of heparin-inhibiting NCAM polysialylation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 01 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Zuo ◽  
Zongyun Chen ◽  
Zhijian Cao ◽  
Wenxin Li ◽  
Yingliang Wu

: The scorpion toxins are the largest potassium channel-blocking peptide family. The understanding of toxin binding interfaces is usually restricted by two classical binding interfaces: one is the toxin α-helix motif, the other is the antiparallel β-sheet motif. In this review, such traditional knowledge was updated by another two different binding interfaces: one is BmKTX toxin using the turn motif between the α-helix and antiparallel β-sheet domains as the binding interface, the other is Ts toxin using turn motif between the β-sheet in the N-terminal and α-helix domains as the binding interface. Their interaction analysis indicated that the scarce negatively charged residues in the scorpion toxins played a critical role in orientating the toxin binding interface. In view of the toxin negatively charged amino acids as “binding interface regulator”, the law of scorpion toxin-potassium channel interaction was proposed, that is, the polymorphism of negatively charged residue distribution determines the diversity of toxin binding interfaces. Such law was used to develop scorpion toxin-potassium channel recognition control technique. According to this technique, three Kv1.3 channel-targeted peptides, using BmKTX as the template, were designed with the distinct binding interfaces from that of BmKTX through modulating the distribution of toxin negatively charged residues. In view of the potassium channel as the common targets of different animal toxins, the proposed law was also shown to helpfully orientate the binding interfaces of other animal toxins. Clearly, the toxin-potassium channel interaction law would strongly accelerate the research and development of different potassium channelblocking animal toxins in the future.


Author(s):  
Eric O'Quinn ◽  
Cameron Tracy ◽  
William F. Cureton ◽  
Ritesh Sachan ◽  
Joerg C. Neuefeind ◽  
...  

Er2Sn2O7 pyrochlore was irradiated with swift heavy Au ions (2.2 GeV), and the induced structural modifications were systematically examined using complementary characterization techniques including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction...


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