Optimization of interstrand interactions enables burn detection with a collagen-mimetic peptide

Abstract

Collagen is an abundant component of the extracellular matrix and connective tissues. Some collagen-mimetic peptides (CMPs) that do not form homotrimers can anneal to damaged tissue. Here, through acomputational screen, we identify (flpHypGly)₇as an optimal monomeric CMP for heterotrimer formation.Wefind that (flpHypGly)₇ forms stable triple helices with (ProProGly)₇ but not with itself. The nonnaturalamino acid HflpOH, which is (2S,4S)-4-fluoroproline, is not toxic to humanfibroblasts or keratinocytes.Conjugation of (flpHypGly)₇ to afluorescent dye enables the facile detection of burned collagenoustissue with high specificity. The ubiquity of collagen and the prevalence of injuries and diseases thatdisrupt endogenous collagen suggests widespread utility for this approach.