The structural response to temperature and pH changes of poly-l-lysine (PLL) has been studied by a variety of experimental methods including turbidimetry, dynamic light scattering, and Zeta potential analysis. The experimental results and the molecular dynamics simulations showed that the PLL structural transitions were a result of a competition between electrostatic repulsion, which promotes an extended state, and the hydrophobic effect, which favors a compact state. In fact, as the pH was decreased, the PLL conformation changed from α-helix to the random coil and the hydrophilic volume increases resulted in a transition to spherical micelles which then swelled due to charge-charge repulsions. Following a rise in temperature and/or at high pH, PLL undergoes the α-helix-to-β-sheet transition and reacted more rapidly to form hydrophobic aggregates.

聚比赖氨酸（PLL）对温度和pH值变化的结构响应已通过多种实验方法进行了研究，包括比浊法，动态光散射和Zeta电位分析。实验结果和分子动力学模拟表明，PLL的结构转变是静电排斥和疏水效应之间竞争的结果，静电排斥促进扩展状态，疏水作用促进紧凑状态。实际上，随着pH值的降低，PLL构象从α螺旋变为无规卷曲，亲水体积增加，导致向球形胶束的转变，然后由于电荷-电荷排斥而膨胀。随着温度的升高和/或在高pH下，PLL经历了从α螺旋到β折叠的转变，并且反应更快，从而形成疏水性聚集体。