Molecular characterization of a laminin-derived oligopeptide with implications in biomimetic applications

The molecular properties of the laminin-derived oligopeptide, H-CDPGYIGSR-NH2, have been investigated with the aid of a tandem computer simulation/experimental approach. The simulation studies placed a particular emphasis on studying the oligopeptide in aqueous media, as well as in a grafted or immobilized state. The simulations revealed the presence of a stable double hydrogen bond between arginine (R) and aspartic acid (D) residues. The mutation of the terminal arginine with lysine, another hydrophilic and positively charged amino acid, resulted in a drastic structural change, thus suggesting a major role of the terminal arginine residue in the overall oligopeptide's conformation and, hence, its bioactivity. In addition, the involvement of the aspartic acid residue in overall peptide structural stabilization also illustrates a previously undetermined role for this region (i.e. CDPG) of the oligopeptide. A subsequent in vitro experiment demonstrated a significant loss of bioactivity upon mutating the terminal residue from arginine to lysine, thereby corroborating the overall findings of the computational model.