Self-Assembling Cages from Coiled-Coil Peptide Modules

Jordan M. Fletcher(University of Bristol), Robert L. Harniman(University of Bristol), Frederick R. H. Barnes(University of Bristol), Aimee L. Boyle(University of Bristol), Andrew Collins(University of Bristol), Judith Mantell(University of Bristol), Thomas H. Sharp(University of Bristol), Massimo Antognozzi(University of Bristol), Paula J. Booth(University of Bristol), Noah Linden(University of Bristol), M. J. Miles(University of Bristol), Richard B. Sessions(University of Bristol), Paul Verkade(University of Bristol), Derek N. Woolfson(University of Bristol)
Science
April 12, 2013
Cited by 501

Abstract

An ability to mimic the boundaries of biological compartments would improve our understanding of self-assembly and provide routes to new materials for the delivery of drugs and biologicals and the development of protocells. We show that short designed peptides can be combined to form unilamellar spheres approximately 100 nanometers in diameter. The design comprises two, noncovalent, heterodimeric and homotrimeric coiled-coil bundles. These are joined back to back to render two complementary hubs, which when mixed form hexagonal networks that close to form cages. This design strategy offers control over chemistry, self-assembly, reversibility, and size of such particles.


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