SAPdb: A database of nanostructures formed by self-assembly of short peptides

Abstract

BackgroundNanostructures generated by self-assembly of peptides yield nanomaterial that has many therapeutic applications, including drug delivery and biomedical engineering, due to their low cytotoxicity and higher uptake by targeted cells owing to their high affinity and specificity towards cell surface receptors. Despite the promising implications of this rapidly expanding field, there is no dedicated resource to study peptide nanostructures. ResultThis study endeavours to create a dedicated repository of short peptides, which may prove to be the best models to study ordered nanostructures formed by peptide self-assembly. SAPdb has a repertoire of 1,049 entries of experimentally validated nanostructures formed by the self-assembling of small peptides. It includes 701 entries are of dipeptides, 328 entries belong to tripeptides, and 20 entries of single amino acid with some conjugated partners. Each entry encompasses comprehensive information about the peptide such as chemical modifications in the peptide sequences, the type of nanostructure formed, and experimental conditions like pH, temperature, and solvent required for the self-assembly of the peptide, etc. Further, our analysis has shown that the occurrence of aromatic amino acids favours the formation of self-assembling nanostructures, as indicated by a large number of entries in SAPdb contain aromatics amino acids. Besides, we have observed that these peptides form different nanostructures under different experimental conditions. SAPdb provides this comprehensive information in a hassle-free tabulated manner at a glance. User-friendly browsing, searching, and analysis modules are integrated for easy retrieval and comparison of data and examination of properties. We anticipate SAPdb to be a valuable repository for researchers engaged in the burgeoning arena of nanobiotechnology. AvailabilityThe database can be accessed on the web at https://webs.iiitd.edu.in/raghava/sapdb.