Structural characterization of the model amphipathic peptide Ac-LKKLLKLLKKLLKL-NH2 in aqueous solution and with 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol and 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol
Short-chain amphiphilic peptides are promising components in the new generation of engineered biomaterials with many potential applications. The 14-residue leucine-lysine peptide Ac-LKKLLKLLKKLLKL-NH2 (LKα) is one such amphiphilic peptide. The periodic distribution of hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acid residues in the sequence of LKα has been shown to promote α-helix formation in an ionic environment and at high peptide concentrations (> ~0.5 mM, no salt). Here, circular dichroism (CD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is used to demonstrate that LKα, in the absence of salt and at concentrations < 0.5 mM, readily adopts a helical structure in the presence of the structure stabilizing agents 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) and 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP). Maximal helical character, as monitored by negative bands with double minima at 222 and 208-210 nm in the CD spectrum, was observed in 20% TFE and 10% HFIP (volume percent). The helical character suggested by the CD data was corroborated with amide to alpha proton, long range, 1HN(i) to 1Hα(i-3) NOEs characteristic of an α-helical structure. In unbuffered water in the absence of a flouronated alcohol and at low peptide concentrations, LKα was essentially unstructured in solution. These observations confirm that LKα has a predisposition to adopt a helical structure that may be maximized with minimal amounts of fluorinated alcohol. This characterization of the structural and physical properties of LKα will assist the design of future biomaterials containing amphiphilic peptides.