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Depicted above is the monomeric ELP unit. X represents an arbitrary amino acid. Polymers are formed from this pentapeptide monomeric unite. Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are synthetic biopolymers with potential applications in the fields of cancer therapy, tissue scaffolding, metal recovery, and protein purification.
More specifically, polypeptides like collagen and silk, are biocompatible materials that are being used in ground-breaking research, as these are inexpensive and easily attainable materials. Gelatin polymer is often used on dressing wounds where it acts as an adhesive.
The two ends of the polypeptide chain are referred to as the carboxyl terminus (C-terminus) and the amino terminus (N-terminus) based on the nature of the free group on each extremity. Counting of residues always starts at the N-terminal end (NH 2 -group), which is the end where the amino group is not involved in a peptide bond.
In general, polypeptides are unbranched polymers, so their primary structure can often be specified by the sequence of amino acids along their backbone. However, proteins can become cross-linked, most commonly by disulfide bonds , and the primary structure also requires specifying the cross-linking atoms, e.g., specifying the cysteines involved ...
Beta sheets consist of beta strands (β-strands) connected laterally by at least two or three backbone hydrogen bonds, forming a generally twisted, pleated sheet. A β-strand is a stretch of polypeptide chain typically 3 to 10 amino acids long with backbone in an extended conformation .
In polymer science, the Lifson–Roig model [1] is a helix-coil transition model applied to the alpha helix-random coil transition of polypeptides; [2] it is a refinement of the Zimm–Bragg model that recognizes that a polypeptide alpha helix is only stabilized by a hydrogen bond only once three consecutive residues have adopted the helical conformation.
α-helices are shown as coiled ribbons or thick tubes, β-sheets as arrows, and non-repetitive coils or loops as lines or thin tubes. The direction of the polypeptide chain is shown locally by the arrows, and may be indicated overall by a colour ramp along the length of the ribbon.
Biomolecular structure is the intricate folded, three-dimensional shape that is formed by a molecule of protein, DNA, or RNA, and that is important to its function.The structure of these molecules may be considered at any of several length scales ranging from the level of individual atoms to the relationships among entire protein subunits.