AHK-Cu

A synthetic copper-binding tripeptide examined in hair-follicle, dermal papilla cell, and extracellular-matrix research models.

Molecular Profile

Type
Synthetic copper(II)–tripeptide coordination complex
Molecular formula
C15H26N6O4
Molecular weight
~416.9 g/mol (AHK-Cu complex); free AHK tripeptide 354.40 g/mol
CAS number
682809-81-0
Amino acids
3
Sequence
Ala-His-Lys + Cu(II)
Modification
Copper(II) chelation via histidine imidazole and backbone nitrogen donor atoms; commonly supplied as the monohydrochloride salt.

Mechanism & Target Class

AHK-Cu is a copper(II)-complexed tripeptide in which the histidine imidazole side chain provides the principal metal-anchoring site, with copper(II) coordinated through nitrogen donor atoms — imidazole nitrogen together with backbone amide and terminal amine nitrogens — forming a stable chelate analogous in coordination motif to the GHK-Cu square-planar complex. The compound differs from GHK-Cu (Copper Tripeptide-1, Gly-His-Lys+Cu²⁺) only by an alanine-for-glycine substitution at the N-terminus, adding a methyl group that modestly increases lipophilicity and alters the three-dimensional geometry of the copper complex while preserving the conserved His-Lys copper-binding motif. In dermal model systems, the copper-tripeptide class is examined at the cellular level using endpoints including fibroblast and dermal papilla cell proliferative activity as a measured variable, and VEGF and TGF-β1 expression levels as molecular endpoints.

Storage & Handling

Lyophilized
Store sealed, protected from light and humidity, at freezer temperature for long-term stability in research settings.
Handling
As a copper chelate, integrity depends on maintaining the metal-peptide coordination; avoid competing chelators and extreme pH.

Primary Database

PubChem CID 168431292 ↗

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