Photoresponsive polypeptides
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Osvaldo Pieroni; Adriano Fissi; Nicola Angelini; Francesco Lenci
- Source
- Accounts of chemical research 34 (2001): 9–17. doi:10.1021/ar990141
info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Pieroni O. 1, Fissi A. 2, Angelini N. 3, Lenci F. 2/titolo:Photoresponsive polypeptides/doi:10.1021%2Far990141+/rivista:Accounts of chemical research/anno:2001/pagina_da:9/pagina_a:17/intervallo_pagine:9–17/volume:34
- Subject
- Solubility
Photochemistry
Protein Conformation
General Medicine
General Chemistry
Peptides
- Language
- ISSN
- 0001-4842
Polypeptides containing azobenzene or spiropyran units attached to the macromolecules respond to light or dark conditions giving reversible variations of their structure. In this Account we provide a short overview of current research in the field and describe the most significant experimental examples of photoresponse effects. They include photoinduced random coil/alpha-helix transitions, helix-sense reversal, photostimulated aggregation/disaggregation processes, and photomechanical effects. These fascinating properties suggest that photoresponsive polypeptides may become suitable materials for designing sensors and devices that can be photomodulated. Findings also demonstrate that it is possible to synthesize model systems which respond to light similarly to naturally occurring photoreceptors.