Fig. 7
From: Hierarchical self-assembly and emergent function of densely glycosylated peptide nanofibers
Proposed role of glycosylation in hierarchical self-assembly and emergent function of GQ11 nanofibers. Glycans on GQ11 nanofibers interact with water (a), forming a hydration layer that minimizes nanofiber non-specific aggregation under dilute conditions (b). Excluded volume effects in crowded environments drive nanofiber bundling (b), while short-range inter-fiber interactions facilitate lateral association and long-range alignment. c Carbohydrates are radially projected at regular intervals due nanofiber twisting established by amino acid chirality, which provides inter-fiber contact points in all directions to facilitate lateral association without geometric constraint. d Glycans on the outermost layer of nanofibers interact favorably with water to prevent non-specific biological interactions, yet can specifically recognize a carbohydrate-binding protein
