Aggregation and Supramolecular Membrane Interactions that Influence Anion Transport in Tryptophan-Containing Synthetic Peptides

Self-assembly is a desired property in supramolecular chemistry, but extensive aggregation may be counterproductive. Rigid systems typically have better organization, but are inherently less dynamic. This work shows that ion transport by amphiphilic heptapeptides (synthetic anion transporters or SATs) is affected by aggregation of the monomers in the bulk aqueous phase to which they are added and within the bilayer. Ion transport was assessed for all compounds by assay of Cl- release from liposomes. The mechanism of ion transport was confirmed by planar bilayer conductance studies for two compounds at opposite ends of the efficacy scale. Dynamic light scattering, the Langmuir trough, transmission electron microscopy, ion release from liposomes, and planar bilayer conductance studies were used to assess the importance of self-assembly versus aggregation in ion transport. Generally, greater aggregation was has an adverse effect on the transport, although at least dimerization is required for amphiphilic heptapeptides to readily transport Cl-. Anion transport in these systems was found to be sensitive to changes in the C-terminal portion of the (Gly)3Pro(Gly)3 sequence. Moreover, a significant difference in transport efficacy was apparent when L-Trp was replaced by D-Trp in the same position.