A Fluorescent Peptoid pH-Sensor

作者：Fuller Amelia A^*; Holmes Courtney A; Seidl Frederick J

来源：Biopolymers, 2013, 100(4): 380-386.

DOI：10.1002/bip.22242

• environmentally sensitive fluorophore
• conformational rearrangement
• peptidomimetic
• peptoid oligomer

Peptoids, N-substituted glycine oligomers, can adopt stable three-dimensional structures and have found diverse application as peptide surrogates and as nanomaterials. In this report, we have expanded peptoid function to include pH sensing by coupling pH-induced peptoid conformational changes with fluorescence intensity changes. We report two new peptoids (2 and 3) that comprise carboxylic-acid functionalized side chains and undergo conformational rearrangement in response to pH. Peptoids 2 and 3 are also labeled at one side-chain with an environmentally sensitive fluorophore, 4-N,N-dimethylamino-1,8-naphthalimide (4DMN). The fluorescence intensity of 2 varies 24-fold over the pH range studied. These spectroscopic properties make 2 a sensitive, biocompatible pH sensor.

• 出版日期2013-7