title: Designed alpha-helical tectons for constructing multicomponent synthetic biological systems.
abstract: One possible route to develop new synthetic-biological systems is to assemble discrete nanoscale objects from programmed peptide-based building blocks. We describe an algorithm to design such blocks based on the coiled-coil protein-folding motif. The success of the algorithm is demonstrated by the production of six peptides that form three target parallel, blunted-ended heterodimers in preference to any of the other promiscuous pairings and alternate configurations, for example, homodimers, sticky-ended assemblies, and antiparallel arrangements. The peptides were linked to promote the assembly of larger, defined nanoscale rods, thus demonstrating that targeted peptide-peptide interactions can be specified in complex mixtures.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS8 1TS, UK. Beth.Bromley@bristol.ac.uk
authors.forename: Elizabeth H C
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Bromley
authors.forename: Richard B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Sessions
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: Derek N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Woolfson
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides