Conformational Switching of a Foldamer in a Multicomponent System by pH-Filtered Selection between Competing Noncovalent Interactions.

ABSTRACT: Biomolecular systems are able to respond to their chemical environment through reversible, selective, noncovalent intermolecular interactions. Typically, these interactions induce conformational changes that initiate a signaling cascade, allowing the regulation of biochemical pathways. In this work, we describe an artificial molecular system that mimics this ability to translate selective noncovalent interactions into reversible conformational changes. An achiral but helical foldamer carrying a basic binding site interacts selectively with the most acidic member of a suite of chiral ligands. As a consequence of this noncovalent interaction, a global absolute screw sense preference, detectable by (13)C NMR, is induced in the foldamer. Addition of base, or acid, to the mixture of ligands com

SUBMITTER: Brioche J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4520694 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature