title: Chemical sequence control of beta-sheet assembly in macromolecular crystals of periodic polypeptides.
abstract: A family of uniform periodic polypeptides has been prepared by bacterial expression of the corresponding artificial genes, with the objective of exploring the potential for control of supramolecular organization in genetically engineered protein-based polymeric materials. The repeating units of the polypeptides consist of oligomeric alanyl-glycine sequences interspersed with glutamic acid residues inserted at intervals of 8 to 14 amino acids. Crystallization of such materials from formic acid produces beta-sheet structures in the solid state, as shown by vibrational spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and wide-angle x-ray diffraction. The diffraction results, together with observations from electron microscopy, are consistent with the formation of needle-shaped lamellar crystals whose thickness is controlled by the periodicity of the primary sequence. These results can be used to control solid-state structure in macromolecular materials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 01003.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Krejchi
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Waddon
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Tirrell
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003460:Crystallization; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D015202:Protein Engineering; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins