Hydrogen-bonded dimer can mediate supramolecular β-sheet formation and subsequent amyloid-like fibril formation: a model study

FT-IR data of six terminally blocked tripeptides containing Acp (ε-aminocaproic acid) reveals that all of them form supramolecular β-sheets in the solid state. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies of two peptides not only support this data but also disclose the fact that the supramolecular β-sheet formation is initiated via dimer formation. The Scanning Electron Microscopic images of all peptides exhibit amyloid-like fibrils that show green birefringence after binding with Congo red, which is a characteristic feature of many neurodegenerative disease causing amyloid fibrils.