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Updated: May 27, 2026

Formation of Ordered Biomolecular Structures by the Self-assembly of Short Peptides
Published on: November 21, 2013
Self-assembly and self-replication of short amphiphilic β-sheet peptides
Valery Bourbo1, Maayan Matmor, Elina Shtelman
1Department of Chemistry, Ben Gurion University of Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.
Abstract:
Most self-replicating peptide systems are made of α-helix forming sequences. However, it has been postulated that shorter and simpler peptides may also serve as templates for replication when arranged into well-defined structures. We describe here the design and characterization of new peptides that form soluble β-sheet aggregates that serve to significantly accelerate their ligation and self-replication. We then discuss the relevance of these phenomena to early molecular evolution, in light of additional functionality associated with β-sheet assemblies.
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