Guest-binding behavior of peptide nanocapsules self-assembled from viral peptide fragments

• DOI: 10.1038/pj.2012.235
• Publication Date: 2013-01-23T07:09:42Z
• Authors: Kazunori Matsuura; Kenta Watanabe; Yoshihiro Matsushita; Nobuo Kimizuka
• Keywords: Nanocapsules

The binding behavior of guests (dyes and DNA) into peptide nanocapsules formed via self-assembly of a 24-mer β-annulus peptide fragment obtained from the capsid protein of the tomato bushy stunt virus is reported. Binding of sodium 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonate and uranine into the peptide nanocapsules minimally affected the size of the nanocapsules, whereas binding of other anionic dyes resulted in the formation of precipitates. Complexation of the β-annulus peptide with M13 phage DNA formed a core-shell nanosphere in which the DNA was encapsulated in the peptide assembly.