A. Polese et al., First interchain peptide interaction detected by ESR in fully synthetic, template-assisted, two-helix bundles, J AM CHEM S, 121(48), 1999, pp. 11071-11078
We have designed and synthesized by solution methods two simple two-helix b
undles based on a conformationally constrained cyclo-dipeptide template to
the side chains of which two short, 2,2,6,6tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl-4-a
mino-4-carboxylic acid spin-monolabeled. 3(10)-helical peptides are covalen
tly tethered. The preferred conformation of the appended chains has been as
sessed by FTIR absorption. The conclusions are corroborated by an X-ray dif
fraction analysis of one of the terminally blocked pentapeptide tails. For
the first time, a solvent-dependent, inter-helix interaction has been monit
ored by conventional ESR spectroscopy on fully synthetic peptide systems. H
alf-field ESR measurements of these side-chain-substituted templates provid
ed an experimental average distance between the two labels that is in good
accord with that determined in a molecular modeling study.