Peptide nanostructures and methods of generating and using the same

• US 20060079454A1
• Filed: 06/09/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ramot at Tel Aviv University Limited (Tel Aviv University)
• Original Assignee: Ramot at Tel Aviv University Limited (Tel Aviv University)
• Inventors: Reches, Meital, Gazit, Ehud
• Granted Patent: US 7,491,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 514/21.910
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 5/00 Nanobiotechnology or nanomedicine, e.g. protein engineering or drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 5/06008 with the first amino acid being neutral
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 5/06078 and aromatic or cycloaliphatic
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 5/06156 and Trp-amino acid; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 5/06191 containing heteroatoms different from O, S, or N
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 19/24 Cold cathodes, e.g. field-emissive cathode
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/939 Electron emitter, e.g. spindt emitter tip coated with nanoparticles

Abstract

A tubular or spherical nanostructure composed of a plurality of peptides, wherein each of the plurality of peptides includes no more than 4 amino acids and whereas at least one of the 4 amino acids is an aromatic amino acid.

Claims

1. A tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure composed of a plurality of peptides, wherein each of said plurality of peptides includes no more than 4 amino acids and whereas at least one of said 4 amino acids is an aromatic amino acid.

2. The tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure of claim 1, wherein the nanostructure does not exceed 500 nm in diameter.

3. The tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure of claim 1, wherein the tubular nanostructure is at least 1 nm in length.

4. The tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure of claim 1, wherein each of said 4 amino acids is independently selected from the group of naturally occurring amino acids, synthetic amino acids and combinations thereof.

5. The tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure of claim 1, wherein at one peptide of said plurality of peptides comprises at least two aromatic amino acids.

6. The tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure of claim 5, wherein at one peptide of said plurality of peptides is a homodipeptide.

7. The tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure of claim 6, wherein each of the amino acids is said homodipeptide comprises an aromatic moiety.

8. The tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure of claim 7, wherein said aromatic moiety is selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted naphthalenyl and substituted or unsubstituted phenyl.

9. The tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure of claim 8, wherein said substituted phenyl is selected from the group consisting of pentafluoro phenyl, iodophenyl, biphenyl and nitrophenyl.

10. The tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure of claim 8, wherein said homodipeptide is selected from the group consisting of naphthylalanine-naphthylalanine dipeptide, (pentafluro-phenylalanine)-(pentafluro-phenylalanine) dipeptide, (iodo-phenylalanine)-(iodo-phenylalanine) dipeptide, (4-phenyl phenylalanine)-(4-phenyl phenylalanine) dipeptide and (p-nitro-phenylalanine)-(p-nitro-phenylalanine) dipeptide.

11. The tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure of claim 1, wherein at least one of said 4 amino acids is a D-amino acid.

12. The tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure of claim 1, wherein at least one of said 4 amino acids is an L-amino acid.

13. The tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure of claim 1, wherein the nanostructure is stable at a temperature range of 4-400°

C.

14. The tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure of claim 1, wherein the nanostructure is stable in an acidic environment.

15. The tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure of claim 1, wherein the nanostructure is stable in a basic environment.

16. A nanostructure composed of a plurality of polyaromatic peptides.

17. The nanostructure of claim 16, wherein said polyaromatic peptides are selected from the group consisting of polyphenylalanine peptides, polytriptophane peptides, polytyrosine peptides, non-natural derivatives thereof and combinations thereof.

18. The nanostructure of claim 16, wherein said polyaromatic peptides are at least 30 amino acids in length.

19. A method of generating a tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure, the method comprising incubating a plurality of peptide molecules under conditions which favor formation of the tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure, wherein each of said peptide molecules includes no more than 4 amino acids and whereas at least one of said 4 amino acids is an aromatic amino acid.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure does not exceed 500 nm in diameter.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the nanotube is at least 1 nm in length.