Covalent capture of α-helical peptides in polymer hydrogel network for polyacrylamide gel stabilization electrophoresis

A strategy to incorporate, physically constrain, and stabilize biologically active α-helical peptides into the polyacrylamide hydrogel network is developed. A bioactive RNA-binding helical peptide with polymerizable acryloyl groups at both ends of the peptide is synthesized and covalently captured in its bioactive helical conformation into the polyacrylamide network via radical polymerization. The usefulness of this approach is demonstrated by the specific recognition of RNAs in the polyacrylamide gel stabilization electrophoresis (PASE) system.