A pseudo α -helix from poly( α -isobutyl-L-aspartate), a nylon-3 derivative

Derivatives of nylon-3, with the general formula given in Fig. 1, crystallize as extended chains, producing sheets similar to those found in polypeptides in the β -conformation 1–3 . Nylon-3 itself (R=H, poly- β -alanine) crystallizes as extended chains 4 . However, given the similarity of the chemi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature (London) 1984-09, Vol.311 (5981), p.53-54
Main Authors: Fernández-Santín, J. M, Aymamí, J, Rodríguez-Galán, A, Muñoz-Guerra, S, Subirana, J. A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Humanities and Social Sciences
letter
multidisciplinary
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Derivatives of nylon-3, with the general formula given in Fig. 1, crystallize as extended chains, producing sheets similar to those found in polypeptides in the β -conformation 1–3 . Nylon-3 itself (R=H, poly- β -alanine) crystallizes as extended chains 4 . However, given the similarity of the chemical structure, we decided to search for conformations related to the α -helix in this type of compounds. We show here that the nylon-3 derivative poly( α -isobutyl-L-aspartate) can adopt a helical structure similar to an α -helix. The turn has 3.25 residues, equicalent to 13 main chain atoms, whereas the α -helix has 10.8 atoms per turn. This is the first time that a helical structure has been observed in a polyamide, other than in the conventional polypeptides and proteins.
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/311053a0