title: Multiscale surface self-assembly of an amyloid-like peptide.
abstract: We present the 2D self-assembly properties of an amyloid-like peptide (LSFDNSGAITIG-NH2) (i.e., LSFD) over a whole range of spatial scales. This peptide is known to adopt an amyloid-like behavior in water where it aggregates into fibrils. Monolayers of this 12 amino acid peptide were built by direct spreading and compression of an organic unstructured LSFD solution at the air/water interface. Investigation by infrared spectroscopy of the peptide secondary structure reveals beta-sheet formation at the water surface. As evidenced by Brewster angle microscopy, compression of the peptidic film results in the formation of large condensed domains. We used atomic force microscopy to show that these domains are made of rather monodisperse, elongated domains of monomolecular thickness, which are about 1 microm long and hundred of nanometers wide. These nanodomains can be compacted up to the formation of a homogeneous monolayer on the micrometer scale. These bidimensional structures appear as a surface-induced counterpart of the bulk amyloid fibrils that do not form at the air/water interface. These self-assembled peptide nanostructures are also very promising for building organized nanomaterials.
authors.affiliation: CEA Saclay, Service de Chimie Moléculaire, LIONS, Bâtiment 125, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France. mathilde.lepere@cea.fr
authors.forename: Mathilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lepère
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chevallard
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mitraki
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guenoun
mesh_terms: D000682:Amyloid / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D044367:Phase Transition; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D000682:Amyloid; D009842:Oligopeptides