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The turn sequence directs β-strand alignment in designed β-hairpins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 November 1999

EVA DE ALBA
Affiliation:
Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain Current address: Laboratory of Biophysical Chemistry, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0380.
MANUEL RICO
Affiliation:
Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
M. ANGELES JIMÉNEZ
Affiliation:
Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
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Abstract

A previous NMR investigation of model decapeptides with identical β-strand sequences and different turn sequences demonstrated that, in these peptide systems, the turn residues played a more predominant role in defining the type of β-hairpin adopted than cross-strand side-chain interactions. This result needed to be tested in longer β-hairpin forming peptides, containing more potentially stabilizing cross-strand hydrogen bonds and side-chain interactions that might counterbalance the influence of the turn sequence. In that direction, we report here on the design and 1H NMR conformational study of three β-hairpin forming pentadecapeptides. The design consists of adding two and three residues at the N- and C-termini, respectively, of the previously studied decapeptides. One of the designed pentadecapeptides includes a potentially stabilizing R-E salt bridge to investigate the influence of this interaction on β-hairpin stability. We suggest that this peptide self-associates by forming intermolecular salt bridges. The other two pentadecapeptides behave as monomers. A conformational analysis of their 1H NMR spectra reveals that they adopt different types of β-hairpin structure despite having identical strand sequences. Hence, the β-turn sequence drives β-hairpin formation in the investigated pentadecapeptides that adopt β-hairpins that are longer than the average protein β-hairpins. These results reinforce our previous suggestion concerning the key role played by the turn sequence in directing the kind of β-hairpin formed by designed peptides.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1999 The Protein Society

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