Influence ofN-Methylation on a Cation−π Interaction Produces a Remarkably Stable β-Hairpin Peptide

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Abstract
The methylation of lysine in histone tails is a common posttranslational modification that functions in histone-regulated chromatin condensation, with binding of methylated lysine occurring in aromatic pockets on chromodomain proteins. We have synthesized a highly stable 12-residue β-hairpin peptide that exploits the histone-related cation−π interaction between a methylated lysine residue and a tryptophan residue. Thermodynamic analysis reveals significant entropic stabilization of the peptide due to methylation of the lysine residue. Chemical denaturation of the peptide demonstrates two-state behavior. In comparison to other reported, highly stable designed β-hairpins, this peptide is the most thermally stable β-hairpin reported to date. This study provides insight into the role of Lys methylation in histone proteins and more generally in mediating protein−protein interactions.