Rational design of charged peptides that self-assemble into robust nanofibers as immune-functional scaffolds.

ABSTRACT: Self-assembling peptides programed by sequence design to form predefined nanostructures are useful for a variety of biomedical applications. However, assemblies of classic ionic self-complementary peptides are unstable in neutral pH, while charged peptide hydrogels have low mechanical strength. Here, we report on the rational design of a self-assembling peptide system with optimized charge distribution and density for bioscaffold development. Our designer peptides employs a sequence pattern that undergoes salt triggered self-assembly into β-sheet rich cationic nanofibers in the full pH range (pH 0-14). Our peptides form nanofibrils in physiological condition at a minimum concentration that is significantly lower than has been reported for self-assembly of comparable peptides. The robust fi

SUBMITTER: Zhang H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5578403 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature