Recognition of Peptides by Cyclodextrin Trimers

The efficient synthesis of a new class of cyclodextrin trimers has been carried out by using a click chemistry strategy. The cyclodextrin trimers were subsequently investigated for molecular recognition of peptides with aromatic side chains. Binding affinities for the self-assembly of different peptides to cyclodextrin trimers were determined by using real-time bimolecular interaction analyses with plasmon surface resonance. Peptides were prepared and immobilized on the sensor surface. The association constants were obtained by titration with different solutions of the cyclodextrin trimers and they were in the range of 10(3) M-1. The selectivity of molecular recognition of nonapeptides favored cyclodextrin trimers over unmodified cyclodextrin.