title: Reversible transitions between peptide nanotubes and vesicle-like structures including theoretical modeling studies.
abstract: Peptide-based self-assembling systems are increasingly attractive because of their wide range of applications in different fields. Peptide nanostructures are flexible with changes in the ambient conditions. Herein, a reversible shape transition between self-assembled dipeptide nanotubes (DPNTs) and vesicle-like structures is observed upon a change in the peptide concentration. SEM, TEM, AFM, and CD spectroscopy were used to follow this transition process. We show that dilution of a peptide-nanotube dispersion solution results in the formation of vesicle-like structures, which can then be reassembled into the nanotubes by concentrating the solution. A theoretical model describing this shape-transition phenomenon is presented to propose ways to engineer assembling molecules in order to devise other systems in which the morphology can be tuned on demand.
authors.affiliation: Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, International Joint Lab, Key Lab of Colloid and Interface Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080 (PR China).
authors.forename: Xuehai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Kewei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Junbai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Bolin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhong-Can
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Ou-Yang
mesh_terms: D002942:Circular Dichroism; D008422:Materials Testing; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D045333:Nanotubes, Peptide / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D045333:Nanotubes, Peptide