Peptide nanostructures and methods of generating and using the same

• US 7,491,699 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2005
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ramot at Tel Aviv University Limited (Tel Aviv University)
• Original Assignee: Ramot at Tel Aviv University Limited (Tel Aviv University)
• Inventors: Gazit, Ehud, Reches, Meital
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Cecilia J
• Assistant Examiner(s): CORDERO GARCIA, MARCELA M
• Application Number:
  US11/148,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20060079454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 514/1.1
• 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 discrete tubular, discrete spherical or discrete planar nanostructure composed of a plurality of aromatic homodipeptides.

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

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

4. The discrete tubular, discrete spherical or discrete planar nanostructure of claim 1, wherein said plurality of aromatic homodipeptides comprise amino acids selected from the group of naturally occurring amino acids, synthetic amino acids and combinations thereof.

5. The discrete tubular, discrete spherical or discrete planar nanostructure of claim 1, wherein said plurality of aromatic homodipeptides comprise aromatic moieties selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted naphthalenyl and substituted or unsubstituted phenyl.

6. The discrete tubular, discrete spherical or discrete planar nanostructure of claim 5, wherein said substituted phenyl is selected from the group consisting of pentafluoro phenyl, iodophenyl, biphenyl and nitrophenyl.

7. The discrete tubular, discrete spherical or discrete planar nanostructure of claim 5, wherein said plurality of aromatic homodipeptides are selected from the group consisting of naphthylalanine-naphthylalanine dipeptides, (pentafluro-phenylalanine)-(pentafluro-phenylalanine) dipeptides, (iodo-phenylalanine)-(iodo-phenylalanine) dipeptides, (4-phenyl phenylalanine)-(4-phenyl phenylalanine) dipeptides and (p-nitro-phenylalanine)-(p-nitro-phenylalanine) dipeptides.

8. The discrete tubular, discrete spherical or discrete planar nanostructure of claim 1, wherein said plurality of aromatic homodipeptides comprise at least one D-amino acid.

9. The discrete tubular, discrete spherical or discrete planar nanostructure of claim 1, wherein said plurality of aromatic homodipeptides comprise at least one L-amino acid.

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

C.

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

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

13. A method of generating a tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure of claim 1, the method comprising incubating a plurality of aromatic homodipeptide molecules under conditions which favor formation of the tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure does not exceed 500 nm in diameter.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the nanotube is at least 1 nm in length.

16. The discrete tubular, discrete spherical or discrete planar nanostructure of claim 1, wherein said plurality of aromatic homodipeptides comprise di-phenylalanine.