SYNTHESIS AND PURIFICATION OF HYDROPHOBIC PEPTIDES FOR USE IN BIOMIMETIC ION CHANNELS

The synthesis and subsequent purification of several hydrophobic pepti des is described. These peptides include the 24-residue M3 transmembra ne domain of the rat connexin 32 protein, a peptide sequence that cont ains only seven amino acids with hydrophilic side-chains (71% hydropho bic). Moreover, for comparison, a much smaller hydrophobic octapeptide , designed to exist with alpha-helical secondary structure, was also s tudied. Optimum conditions for the RP-HPLC purification of these pepti des was dependent on peptide length and solubility properties. (C) 199 8 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.