Contributions of cation–π interactions to the collagen triple helix stability

Cation–π interactions are found to be an important noncovalent force in proteins. Collagen is a right-handed triple helix composed of three left-handed PPII helices, in which (X–Y-Gly) repeats dominate in the sequence. Molecular modeling indicates that cation–π interactions could be formed between the X and Y positions in adjacent collagen strands. Here, we used a host–guest peptide system: (Pro-Hyp-Gly)3-(Pro-Y-Gly-X-Hyp-Gly)-(Pro-Hyp-Gly)3, where X is an aromatic residue and Y is a cationic residue, to study the cation–π interaction in the collagen triple helix. Circular dichroism (CD) measurements and Tm data analysis show that the cation–π interactions involving Arg have a larger contribution to the conformational stability than do those involving Lys, and Trp forms a weaker cation–π interaction with cationic residues than expected as a result of steric effects. The results also show that the formation of cation–π interactions between Arg and Phe depends on their relative positions in the strand. Moreover, the fluorinated and methylated Phe substitutions show that an electron-withdrawing or electron-donating substituent on the aromatic ring can modulate its π–electron density and the cation–π interaction in collagen. Our data demonstrate that the cation–π interaction could play an important role in stabilizing the collagen triple helix.

Research highlights
► Inter-strand cation–π interactions can stabilize the collagen triple helix.
► Arg forms a more stable cation–π interaction than Lys in collagen.
► Phe, Tyr, and Trp form similarly stable cation–π interactions in collagen.
► Fluoro and methyl groups can modulate the cation–π interactions in collagen.