Conformational study of the diastereomeric pairs in poly(lysine)-pectate complexes

The complex formation in aqueous solution between the polyelectrolytes poly (lysine) and pectate was studied focusing on the conformational changes of the polysaccharidic moiety. The findings suggest that the pectate adopts a superhelical conformation around the a helix of the poly(L-lysine). A thres hold value of the degree of polymerization of the pectate chain enabling th e transition of the peptide was determined by chromatographic and circular dichroism methods. Conformational analysis results are in agreement with th e experimental findings and support the superhelical topology of the polyel ectrolyte poly(L-lysine)-pectate complex.