Comparison of helix stabilities of poly-L-lysine, poly-L-ornithine, and poly(L-diaminobutyric acid)

The helix–coil transitions of aqueous solutions of poly‐α‐L‐lysine (PLL), poly‐α‐L‐ornithine (PLO), and poly(α,γ‐L‐diaminobutyric acid) (PLDBA) have been investigated as functions of pH at 25°C and of temperature at pH 11.75, where these polymers are uncharged; in the cases of the latter two polyamino acids, the transitions have also been studied as functions of apparent pH in methanol‐water solution (50/50 by volume). The helix stability of the polypeptides is shown to be a direct function of the number of methylene groups on the side chain. From an analysis of potentiometric titration data, we find that the difference between the helix stability of PLL and that of PLO is due to a difference of about 1 e.u. in the ΔS° of the transition. Combining the “melting curves” obtained from optical rotatory dispersion studies with the potentiometric titration data permits evaluation of the initiation parameter Z (or 1/σ½) of the statistical mechanical theories for these transitions. The value obtained for Z in the case of uncharged aqueous PLO is ca. 35.