Synthetic peptides as binding-step based catalytic mimics.
Peptides able to adopt an environment-dependent secondary structure represent attractive models for enzyme mimics. An approach to design new synthetic enzyme-like peptides involves the use of binding-step based mimics. The polypeptide melittin, based on its intrinsic ability to bind to phospholipids, was selected as a potential binding-step based catalytic mimic. Synthetic melittin was found to exhibit weak but reproducible phospholipase-like activity. The rate enhancement of the hydrolysis of phospholipids, although far from that of the natural enzyme, was encouraging as a first step in the development of new catalytic peptides.
Pérez-Payá
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Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, San Diego, CA.
Houghten
R A
RA
Blondelle
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D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002384:Catalysis; D004798:Enzymes; D008555:Melitten / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary
D004798:Enzymes; D010455:Peptides; D010743:Phospholipids; D008555:Melitten