We report the design and characterization of a peptide that assembles as β-hairpins and forms hydrogels under physiological conditions. These hydrogels formed both in the absence and presence of several metal ions and displayed characteristic sheer-thinning properties. In particular, in the presence of Zn²⁺, we observed a novel hydrogel that proceeded via an intermolecular metal-coordination mechanism – intermolecular assembly that was previously reported instead to promote amyloid type aggregates.

中文翻译：

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了解金属介导的组装和β-发夹肽的水凝胶形成

我们报道了在生理条件下组装为β-发夹并形成水凝胶的肽的设计和表征。这些水凝胶是在不存在和存在几种金属离子的情况下形成的，并显示出特征性的稀疏特性。尤其是在存在Zn ²⁺的情况下，我们观察到了一种通过分子间金属配位机制进行的新型水凝胶-以前据报道可促进淀粉样蛋白类型聚集体的分子间组装。