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PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
36
pubmed:dateCreated
2007-12-17
pubmed:abstractText
As part of our program on the biochirogenesis of homochiral peptides, we report the formation of racemic parallel (p) beta sheets composed of alternating R and S chains of up to 14-15 repeat units of the same handedness through the polymerisation of (R,S)-valine N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) crystals suspended in aqueous solutions of a primary amine as the initiator. The occurrence of such a lattice-controlled reaction accompanied by a reduction in volume implies the operation of a mechanism that differs from that of the common solid-state polymerisation in vinyl systems. The topotacticity of the reaction is explained through the operation of a multistep nonlinear process comprising lattice control coupled with an asymmetric induction in the formation of homochiral short peptides followed by their self-assembly into racemic p beta sheets, which operate as efficient templates in the ensuing process of enantioselective chain elongation at the polymer/crystal interface. The composition of the diastereoisomeric libraries of oligopeptides was determined by MALDI-TOF and MALDI-TOF-TOF MS analyses of the products obtained from monomers enantioselectively labelled with deuterium. The structure of the p beta sheets could be determined by initiating the polymerisation reaction with water-soluble esters of enantiopure alpha-amino acids or short peptides. The same reaction performed with the monomer crystals suspended in hexane yielded a complex mixture of diastereoisomeric oligopeptides, thus highlighting the indispensable role played by water in controlling the stereoselectivity of the reaction. By contrast, polymerisation of (R,S)-leucine NCA crystals, with a different packing arrangement that presumably does not endorse the formation of periodic peptide templates, yielded, both in aqueous and hexane suspensions, libraries of peptides dominated by heterochiral diastereoisomers.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
0947-6539
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
13
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
10140-51
pubmed:dateRevised
2009-8-4
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2007
pubmed:articleTitle
Homochiral oligopeptides via a lattice-controlled polymerisation in racemic crystals of valine N-carboxyanhydride suspended in aqueous solutions.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Materials and Interfaces, The Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't