Investigation of pH‐Dependent Collagen Triple‐Helix Formation

Helices on demand: Collagen peptides were engineered to form triple helices under environmental control. The replacement of the hydroxyproline (Hyp) residues in a collagen peptide with carboxylate-modified Hyp residues gave a petide that forms a collagen triple-helical structure at acidic pH values and low temperatures and adopts a monomeric, polyproline II helical conformation under neutral conditions (see scheme).