Helical Supramolecules and Fibers Utilizing Leucine Zipper-Displaying Dendrimers

We describe a new family of discrete supramolecules comprising leucine-zipper peptides noncovalently assembled upon cognate leucine zippers fused to a dendrimer core. Circular dichroism and sedimentation equilibrium experiments clearly demonstrate that each leucine-zipper dendrimer (D-EZ₄ or D-KZ₄) can noncovalently display four leucine zippers on their surface that can be utilized for the multivalent display of protein cargo. Furthermore, we show that matched leucine-zipper dendrimers (D-EZ₄/D-KZ₄) can self-organize into fibers at neutral pH, providing a new scaffold for nanotechnology.