Structurally plastic peptide capsules for synthetic antimicrobial viruses. Issue 3 (8th January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Castelletto, Valeria; de Santis, Emiliana; Alkassem, Hasan; Lamarre, Baptiste; Noble, James E.; Ray, Santanu; Bella, Angelo; Burns, Jonathan R.; Hoogenboom, Bart W.; Ryadnov, Maxim G.
• Is Part Of: Chemical science. Volume 7:Issue 3(2016:Mar.)
• Page Start: 1707
• Page End: 1711
• Publication Date: 2016-01-08
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540.5
• DOI: 10.1039/c5sc03260a
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2041-6520

Abstract

Abstract : A conceptual design for artificial antimicrobial viruses is described. Abstract : A conceptual design for artificial antimicrobial viruses is described. The design emulates viral assembly and function to create self-assembling peptide capsules that promote efficient gene delivery and silencing in mammalian cells. Unlike viruses, however, the capsules are antimicrobial, which allows them to exhibit a dual biological function: gene transport and antimicrobial activity. Unlike other antimicrobials, the capsules act as pre-concentrated antimicrobial agents that elicit rapid and localised membrane-disrupting responses by converting into individual pores at their precise landing positions on membranes. The concept holds promise for engineering virus-like scaffolds with biologically tuneable properties.