Abstract
IN Moffitt's expression for the variation of the optical rotation of an L-polypeptide in the α-helical form with wave-length1,2, the constant b 0 has been found to have values between − 400 and − 700 deg. cm.2/decimole; the negative value is certainly associated with a right-handed screw sense in poly-L-alanine3. Recently, values up to 631° have been reported for poly-β-benzyl-L-aspartate ([CO.NH.CHCH2CO.OCH2C6H5]n) in chloroform solution by Blout and Karlson4. This positive value of b 0 may indicate either the ‘structural’ anomaly of a left-handed screw sense, or alternatively an ‘optical’ anomaly due to interaction between peptide and side-chain chromophores or consequent upon some minor structural peculiarity. We have confirmed the anomalous result and have examined the polymer by a variety of techniques.
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References
Moffitt, W., Proc. U.S. Nat. Acad. Sci., 42, 736 (1956).
Moffitt, W., and Yang, J. T., Proc. U.S. Nat. Acad. Sci., 42, 596 (1956).
Elliott, A., and Malcolm, B. R., Proc. Roy. Soc., A, 249, 30 (1958).
Blout, E. R., and Karlson, R. H., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 80, 1259 (1958); corrected value of b0 given in same reference, p. 6701.
Bamford, C. H., Elliott, A., and Hanby, W. E., “Synthetic Polypeptides”, 264 (Academic Press, Inc., New York, 1956).
Bragg, W. L., Kendrew, J. C., and Perutz, M. F., Proc. Roy. Soc., A, 203, 321 (1950).
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BRADBURY, E., BROWN, L., DOWNIE, A. et al. α-Helices and a New Polypeptide Fold in Poly-β-Benzyl-L-Aspartate. Nature 183, 1736–1737 (1959). https://doi.org/10.1038/1831736b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1831736b0
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