pH-Tolerant Tripeptide Coacervates as Biomimetic Catalytic Microreactors.

Area of Science:

• Biomimetic chemistry
• Supramolecular chemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Liquid-liquid phase separation forms biomolecular condensates, organizing cellular reactions.
• Synthetic coacervates offer biomimetic microreactor potential but lack stability in harsh conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer robust, bioinspired tripeptide coacervates with enhanced stability.
• To create versatile microreactors for diverse chemical transformations.

Main Methods:

• Designed minimal peptide sequences integrating aromatic residues and oligo(ethylene glycol) moieties.
• Investigated coacervate stability across a broad pH and salt concentration range.
• Assessed partitioning and catalytic activity of encapsulated species.

Main Results:

• Developed tripeptide coacervates with exceptional tolerance to extreme pH and high ionic strength.
• Demonstrated coacervates' ability to partition enzymes and substrates, concentrating reactants.
• Showcased enhanced efficiency in bioorthogonal click reactions, nucleophilic aromatic substitution, and enzyme-mediated hydrolysis.

Conclusions:

• Short peptides can be engineered into environmentally resilient coacervate systems.
• These coacervates provide a minimalistic platform for robust biomimetic catalysis.
• Potential applications include prebiotic chemistry and synthetic biology.