Alpha-helical assembly of biologically active peptides and designed helix bundle protein

The formation of alpha-helical assembly by complexing biologically active peptides with de novo designed protein is described. The de novo designed protein described here is a cystine-linked 4-helix bundle protein constructed with 80 amino acid residues and forms a hydrophobic core region surrounded by 4 helices in an aqueous solution. The biologically active peptides, such as melittin and human growth hormone releasing factor, contain the sequences that are able to form amphiphilic helices. These peptides alone do not form the alpha-helix structure in a diluted solution with low ion strength. But on mixing with the designed helix bundle protein, the peptides are strongly bound to the protein with the induction of alpha-helical structure in the biologically active peptides. The content of induced alpha-helix is in accord with that estimated from the amphiphilic sequence. The results mean that a novel architecture composed of alpha-helices is formed. Fluorescent and temperature-scanning measurement revealed that the alpha-helical assembly is constructed with hydrophobic interaction. Also, it is shown by means of fluorescence depolarization that the assembly has a compact globular form corresponding to 1:1 complex.