Polymerization of unprotected synthetic peptides: A view toward synthetic peptide vaccines

Abstract

A generic method is reported for the assembly of multi-peptide polymers in which peptides are synthesized in the solid phase, the N-terminal residue acryloylated, and the derivitized peptides cleaved, purified and finally polymerized by free radical induced polymerization. The high molecular weight polymers generated in this way have individual peptides pendant from a backbone support. Incorporation of 6-aminohexanoyl or other residue(s) at the N-terminus of the peptide prior to acryloylation allows the peptide to be distanced from the polymer backbone and incorporation of acryloylated reagents into the polymerization mixture also permits distancing of pendant peptides along the length of th..