Patent ID: 7288623
Filing Date: 2007-10-30
Classification: C07K

Abstract:
1. A method for constructing molecular tubes comprising the following steps: Step A: providing a first solution having charged cyclic peptides solubilized therein, each of said cyclic peptides having one or more ionized amino acid residues for imparting a net charge to said charged cyclic peptides, said charged cyclic peptides being homodetic and having an amino acid sequence with a length between 6 and 16 amino acid residues, a repeating D-L chirality motif, and an even number of amino acid residues, wherein all of said ionized amino acid residues are either ionized acidic amino acid residues or ionized basic amino acid residues; and then Step B: neutralizing the charge of the charged cyclic peptides of said Step A by changing the pH of the first solution for forming a second solution having neutral cyclic peptides lacking a net charge and for promoting hydrogen bond formation; and then Step C: forming a suspension of molecular tubes within said second solution by allowing self-assembly of the neutral cyclic peptides with stacking of the neutral cyclic peptides upon one another in an anti-parallel fashion with a formation of β-sheet hydrogen bonds between adjacent neutral cyclic peptides.