ARTIFICIAL BETA-SHEETS

Within the past decade, several research groups have synthesized and s tudied compounds that mimic the structures and hydrogen-bonding patter ns of beta-sheets. In these compounds, rigid molecular templates stabi lize beta-sheet structure in attached peptides. Through these studies, these researchers hope to gain an enhanced understanding of protein s tructure and develop useful peptidomimetic building blocks. This revie w seeks to summarize these studies and explain the growing interest in artificial beta-sheets.