Spacer-dependent folding and aggregation of oligocholates in SDS micelles

The enhanced folding of cholate oligomers in homogeneous solution through the inserction of flexible, 4-aminobutyroyl spacers in between the cholate repeat units which showed opposite effect when the oligomers were solubilized in aqueous solutions of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is reported. Folding is observed to favor both below and above the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of SDS and is enhanced by an increase in the chain length.