Complementary nucleobase interaction enhances peptide-peptide recognition and self-replicating catalysis

Chemistry. 2003 Oct 6;9(19):4829-37. doi: 10.1002/chem.200305121.

Abstract

The availability of the complementary interaction of nucleobases for influencing the formation of peptide architectures was explored. Nucleobases were incorporated as additional recognition elements in coiled-coil peptides by employing nucleobase amino acids (NBAs), which are artificial L-alpha-amino gamma-nucleobase-butyric acids. The effect of the base-pair interaction on intermolecular recognition between peptides was evaluated through a self-replication reaction. The self-replication reactions of the peptides with complementary base pairs such as thymine-adenine or guanine-cytosine at the g-g' heptad positions were accelerated in comparison with those of the peptides with mismatched base pairs or without nucleobases. However, thymine-adenine pairs at the e-e' positions did not enhance the self-replication. In the presence of a denaturant, the enhancement effects of complementary base pairs on the reaction disappeared. Thermal denaturation studies showed that the thymine-adenine pairs contributed to stabilization of the coiled-coil structure and that the pairs at the g-g' positions were more effective than those at the e-e' positions. The peptide-peptide interaction was reinforced by complementary nucleobase interactions appropriately arranged in the peptide structure; these led to acceleration of the self-replication reactions.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Base Pairing*
  • Base Sequence
  • Binding Sites
  • Catalysis
  • Circular Dichroism
  • Guanidine / chemistry
  • Hot Temperature
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Molecular Structure
  • Peptide Fragments / chemistry
  • Peptide Nucleic Acids / chemistry*
  • Peptides / chemical synthesis
  • Peptides / chemistry*
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Denaturation

Substances

  • Peptide Fragments
  • Peptide Nucleic Acids
  • Peptides
  • Guanidine