Templated growth of hybrid structures at the peptide-peptide interface

Abstract

This study describes the use of peptide vesicular platforms for the templated growth of fibrillar structures to craft hybrids that retain the gross morphological features of two discreet self-assembled peptides. A synthetic triskelion peptide, which results in the rapid emergence of self-assembled spherical structures, was employed as a template. Addition of either one of two different peptides, both of which form long filamentous structures when co-incubated with the triskelion solution, affords hybrids that retain the gross morphology of both the spherical and filamentous structures. It is surmised that this process is aided by hydrogen bonding and the interdigitation of aromatic residues, which leads to the growth of hybrid structures. We believe that observations concerning the surface-assisted growth of peptide fibrils and tubular structures from vesicular platforms may have ramifications for the design and development of peptide-based hybrid materials with controlled hierarchical structures.