Conformation of a T cell stimulating peptide in aqueous solution

• Published in: FEBS Letters
• Main Authors: Waltho, Jonathan P., Feher, Victoria A., Lerner, Richard A., Wright, Peter E.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1989
• Subjects: Sperm whale
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0014-5793(89)80764-1; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1016%2F0014-5793%2889%2980764-1; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1016%2F0014-5793(89)80764-1; https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1016/0014-5793%2889%2980764-1

Using two‐dimensional NMR spectroscopy and circular dichroism spectroscopy it is demonstrated that a T cell stimulating peptide corresponding to residues 132–153 of sperm whale myoglobin populates helical conformations in aqueous solution. This finding is in accordance with proposals that immunodominant sites in T cell stimulating peptides have a high conformational propensity. The observation of secondary structure in aqueous solutions of this and other immunogenic peptides has important implications for initiation of protein folding.