Structure and luminescence properties of supramolecular polymers of amphiphilic aromatic thioether–peptide conjugates in water
We present the preparation of luminophore–peptide conjugates that self-assemble into supramolecular polymers in neutral buffer. To this end, we have prepared a small library of six conjugates with varying substitution patterns of the aromatic thioethers, as well as varying amino acid sequences. The latter have allowed us to tune the thermodynamic driving force for self-assembly and probe their photoluminescent properties either in the monomeric or polymeric state, while fully avoiding selective solvent techniques or organic solvent mixtures. All of the supramolecular structures were characterised with transmission electron microscopy, circular dichroism measurements, as well as steady-state…
Conformational Dynamics of the Dengue Virus Protease Revealed by Fluorescence Correlation and Single-Molecule FRET Studies.
The dengue virus protease (DENV-PR) represents an attractive target for counteracting DENV infections. It is generally assumed that DENV-PR can exist in an open and a closed conformation and that active site directed ligands stabilize the closed state. While crystal structures of both the open and the closed conformation were successfully resolved, information about the prevalence of these conformations in solution remains elusive. Herein, we address the question of whether there is an equilibrium between different conformations in solution which can be influenced by addition of a competitive inhibitor. To this end, DENV-PR was statistically labeled by two dye molecules constituting a FRET …