Solubilities of the α_II- and β-Forms of Synthetic Polypeptides: Evidence for an α_II–β Transformation in the Amorphous Phase

Abstract

IN previous communications^1,2 from these Laboratories, it has been shown that the molecular chains of a number of synthetic polypeptides can exist in folded and extended configurations, and the X-ray and infra-red evidence which has accumulated so far is entirely consistent with the view that the folded form has the α_II-structure proposed by Ambrose and Hanby³. One purpose of this note is to bring forward evidence of a different kind which has a bearing on the structure of the molecular fold.