Spatiotemporal control of l-phenyl-alanine crystallization in microemulsion: the role of water in mediating molecular self-assembly.

ABSTRACT: Water confined or constrained in a cellular environment can exhibit a diverse structural and dynamical role and hence will affect the self-assembly behavior of biomolecules. Herein, the role of water in the formation of l-phenyl-alanine crystals and amyloid fibrils was investigated. A microemulsion biomimetic system with controllable water pool size was employed to provide a microenvironment with different types of water, which was characterized by small-angle X-ray scattering, attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. In a bound water environment, only plate-like l-phenyl-alanine crystals and their aggregates were formed, all of which are anhydrous crystal form I. However, when free water dominated, amyloid fibrils were obs

SUBMITTER: Liu Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9067117 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature