Helicates, Peptide-Helicates and Metal-Assisted Stabilization of Peptide Microstructures - Metallofoldamers: Supramolecular Architectures from Helicates to Biomimetics - page 297

hybrids to be built, which connects structural supramolecular chemistry with the func-
tional biochemical world.
In this chapter a connection was drawn between helicates (as supramolecular entities)
and peptide-helicates (which already show some simple structural features of proteins).
This finally led to the metal-assisted stabilization of peptide secondary structures: loops/
turns, a-helix, and b-sheet. Thus, simple metal-centered coordination was discussed as a
basis for the chemistry of metalloproteins in which single metal ions can play a crucial
role in order to stabilize well defined structures. This chapter finally will end with a bio-
chemical motif already mentioned in the introduction: the zinc finger proteins. They rep-
resent an exceptionally beautiful example of how the binding of a single metal can affect
the structure and biological function of an otherwise structurally not defined and inactive
protein (Figure 8.24) [62].
Figure 8.24 A zinc finger protein.