Conformational photoswitching of a synthetic peptide foldamer bound within a phospholipid bilayer

Abstract

Synthetic twists among lipids: Proteins embedded in cell membranes perform a wide variety of signaling and transport functions through conformational shifts. De Poli et al. examined how a much smaller, simpler construct might begin to achieve similar aims (see the Perspective by Thiele and Ulrich). Specifically, they designed an artificial peptide with a photosensitive group at one end and embedded it in a phospholipid bilayer akin to a membrane. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed how light-induced isomerization influenced conformational dynamics at the other end. The results point the way toward development of small-molecule–based switches in membrane environments. Science , this issue p. 575 ; see also p. 520