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Molecular assembling of DNA with amphipathic peptides
Author(s) -
Dufourcq J,
Neri W,
Henry-Toulmé N
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(97)01522-6
Subject(s) - peptide , dna , polylysine , chemistry , amphiphile , ethidium bromide , intercalation (chemistry) , membrane , lysine , peptide sequence , biophysics , biochemistry , amino acid , combinatorial chemistry , biology , polymer , gene , organic chemistry , copolymer
The self‐assembling of double‐stranded DNA with short synthetic peptides has been analysed using the fluorescent properties of the intercalating dye, ethidium bromide. Two membrane‐active peptides with appropriate sequences of lysine and leucine amino acids and a short polylysine have been probed. The results revealed that the secondary structure of the peptide decisively aimed the peptide‐DNA complex formation: only the longest peptide, which is the only one to exhibit an α‐helical structure in solution, could achieve DNA compacting before charge neutralisation. The obtained complex retained a significant membrane activity as demonstrated by calcein leakage experiments. This shows that short synthetic peptides of elementary sequence can combine both membrane activity and DNA‐condensing properties. The potential of these constructs as DNA carriers will be discussed.