title: Morphology transformation via pH-triggered self-assembly of peptides.
abstract: Three flexible peptides (P1: (C(17)H(35)CO-NH-GRGDG)(2)KG; P2: (Fmoc-GRGDG)(2)KG; P3: (CH(3)CO-NH-GRGDG)(2)KG) self-assembled to form a variety of morphologically distinct assemblies at different pHs. P1 formed nanofibers at pH 3, then self-assembled into nanospheres with pH up to 6 and further changed to lamellar structures when the pH value was further increased to 10. P2 aggregated into an entwined network structure at pH 3, and then self-assembled into well-defined nanospheres, lamellar structures, and vesicles via adjusting the pH value. However, P3 did not self-assemble into well-ordered nanostructures, presumably due to the absence of a large hydrophobic group. The varying self-assembly behaviors of the peptides at different pHs are attributed to molecular conformational changes. These self-assembled supramolecular materials might contribute to the development of new peptide-based biomaterials.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education and Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
authors.forename: Si-Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Sheng-Sheng
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Ren-Xi
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Zhuo
authors.forename: Xian-Zheng
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D009842:Oligopeptides; C047981:arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid