Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Determination of the Gas-phase Acidities of Oligopeptides
Published on: June 24, 2013
Factors governing helical preference of peptides containing multiple alpha,alpha-dialkyl amino acids
G R Marshall1, E E Hodgkin, D A Langs
1Department of Pharmacology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110.
Abstract:
The presence of multiple alpha,alpha-dialkyl amino acids such as alpha-methylalanine (alpha-aminoisobutyric acid, Aib) leads to predominantly helical structures, either with alpha-helical or 3(10)-helical hydrogen bonding patterns. The crystal structure of emerimicin-(1-9) benzyl ester (Ac-Phe-Aib-Aib-Aib-Val-Gly-Leu-Aib-Aib-OBzl) reported here shows essentially pure alpha-helical character, whereas other similar compounds show predominantly 3(10)-helical structures. The factors that govern helical preference include the inherent relative stability of the alpha-helix compared with the 3(10)-helix, the extra hydrogen bond seen with 3(10)-helices, and the enhanced electrostatic dipolar interaction of the 3(10)-helix when packed in a crystalline lattice. The balance of these forces, when combined with the steric requirements of the amino acid side chains, determines the relative stability of the two helical conformations under a given set of experimental conditions.
More Related Videos
11:09Constructing Thioether/Vinyl Sulfide-tethered Helical Peptides Via Photo-induced Thiol-ene/yne Hydrothiolation
Published on: August 1, 2018
06:50Computational Prediction of Amino Acid Preferences of Potentially Multispecific Peptide-Binding Domains Involved in Protein-Protein Interactions
Published on: January 26, 2024
Related Concept Videos
Protein Organization
Protein Folding
Amino acids
Peptide Bonds
Protein Organization
The primary structure of a protein is its amino acid sequence.
Protein Folding
Protein Structure Is Critical to Its Biological Function
Proteins perform a wide range of biological functions such as catalyzing chemical reactions, providing...