Hierarchical self-assembly and emergent function of densely glycosylated peptide nanofibers

Glycosylation alters protein form and function by establishing intermolecular forces that mediate specific interactions while preventing non-specific aggregation. Self-assembled peptide nanofibers modified with carbohydrates are increasingly used as biomaterials to mimic glycosylated protein function, yet the influence of carbohydrate conjugates on nanofiber structure remains poorly defined. Here we show that a dense carbohydrate surface layer can facilitate hierarchical organization of peptide nanofibers into anisotropic networks. Glycosylated peptide nanofibers remain dispersed in dilute conditions, whereas non-glycosylated nanofibers tend to aggregate. In crowded conditions, some glycosylated nanofibers laterally associate and align. This behavior depends on carbohydrate chemistry, particularly hydroxyls, suggesting involvement of short-range attractive forces. Macroscopic gels fabricated from densely glycosylated peptide nanofibers are resistant to non-specific interactions with proteins, mammalian cells, and bacteria, yet selectively bind lectins, analogous to natural low-fouling mucosal barriers. Collectively, these observations demonstrate that glycosylation can inform structure in addition to endowing function to peptide-based supramolecular biomaterials.