Antimicrobial activity and membrane selective interactions of a synthetic lipopeptide MSI-843

Lipopeptide MSI-843 consisting of the nonstandard amino acid ornithine (Oct-OOLLOOLOOL-NH₂) was designed with an objective towards generating non-lytic short antimicrobial peptides, which can have significant pharmaceutical applications. Octanoic acid was coupled to the N-terminus of the peptide to increase the overall hydrophobicity of the peptide. MSI-843 shows activity against bacteria and fungi at micromolar concentrations. It permeabilizes the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacterium and a model membrane mimicking bacterial inner membrane. Circular dichroism investigations demonstrate that the peptide adopts α-helical conformation upon binding to lipid membranes. Isothermal titration calorimetry studies suggest that the peptide binding to membranes results in exothermic heat of reaction, which arises from helix formation and membrane insertion of the peptide. ²H NMR of deuterated-POPC multilamellar vesicles shows the peptide-induced disorder in the hydrophobic core of bilayers. ³¹P NMR data indicate changes in the lipid head group orientation of POPC, POPG and Escherichia colitotal lipid bilayers upon peptide binding. Results from ³¹P NMR and dye leakage experiments suggest that the peptide selectively interacts with anionic bilayers at low concentrations (up to 5 mol%). Differential scanning calorimetry experiments on DiPOPE bilayers and ³¹P NMR data from E.coli total lipid multilamellar vesicles indicate that MSI-843 increases the fluid lamellar to inverted hexagonal phase transition temperature of bilayers by inducing positive curvature strain. Combination of all these data suggests the formation of a lipid-peptide complex resulting in a transient pore as a plausible mechanism for the membrane permeabilization and antimicrobial activity of the lipopeptide MSI-843.     

Two interdependent mechanisms of antimicrobial activity allow for efficient killing in nylon-3-based polymeric mimics of innate immunity peptides

Novel synthetic mimics of antimicrobial peptides have been developed to exhibit structural properties and antimicrobial activity similar to those of natural antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) of the innate immune system. These molecules have a number of potential advantages over conventional antibiotics, including reduced bacterial resistance, cost-effective preparation, and customizable designs. In this study, we investigate a family of nylon-3 polymer-based antimicrobials. By combining vesicle dye leakage, bacterial permeation, and bactericidal assays with small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), we find that these polymers are capable of two interdependent mechanisms of action: permeation of bacterial membranes and binding to intracellular targets such as DNA, with the latter necessarily dependent on the former. We systemically examine polymer-induced membrane deformation modes across a range of lipid compositions that mimic both bacteria and mammalian cell membranes. The results show that the polymers' ability to generate negative Gaussian curvature (NGC), a topological requirement for membrane permeation and cellular entry, in model Escherichia coli membranes correlates with their ability to permeate membranes without complete membrane disruption and kill E. coli cells. Our findings suggest that these polymers operate with a concentration-dependent mechanism of action: at low concentrations permeation and DNA binding occur without membrane disruption, while at high concentrations complete disruption of the membrane occurs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Interfacially Active Peptides and Proteins. Guest Editors: William C. Wimley and Kalina Hristova.     

Bacteria May Cope Differently from Similar Membrane Damage Caused by the Australian Tree Frog Antimicrobial Peptide Maculatin 1.1

Maculatin 1.1 (Mac1) is an antimicrobial peptide from the skin of Australian tree frogs and is known to possess selectivity toward Gram-positive bacteria. Although Mac1 has membrane disrupting activity, it is not known how Mac1 selectively targets Gram-positive over Gram-negative bacteria. The interaction of Mac1 with Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and human red blood cells (hRBC) and with their mimetic model membranes is here reported. The peptide showed a 16-fold greater growth inhibition activity against S. aureus (4 μm) than against E. coli (64 μm) and an intermediate cytotoxicity against hRBC (30 μm). Surprisingly, Sytox Green uptake monitored by flow cytometry showed that Mac1 compromised both bacterial membranes with similar efficiency at ∼20-fold lower concentration than the reported minimum inhibition concentration against S. aureus. Mac1 also reduced the negative potential of S. aureus and E. coli membrane with similar efficacy. Furthermore, liposomes mimicking the cell membrane of S. aureus (POPG/TOCL) and E. coli (POPE/POPG) were lysed at similar concentrations, whereas hRBC-like vesicles (POPC/SM/Chol) remained mostly intact in the presence of Mac1. Remarkably, when POPG/TOCL and POPE/POPG liposomes were co-incubated, Mac1 did not induce leakage from POPE/POPG liposomes, suggesting a preference toward POPG/TOCL membranes that was supported by surface plasma resonance assays. Interestingly, circular dichroism spectroscopy showed a similar helical conformation in the presence of the anionic liposomes but not the hRBC mimics. Overall, the study showed that Mac1 disrupts bacterial membranes in a similar fashion before cell death events and would preferentially target S. aureus over E. coli or hRBC membranes.     

Different modes in antibiotic action of tritrpticin analogs, cathelicidin-derived Trp-rich and Pro/Arg-rich peptides

The cathelicidin-derived antimicrobial tritrpticin could be classified as either Trp-rich or Pro/Arg-rich peptide. We recently found that the sequence modification of tritrpticin focused on Trp and Pro residues led to considerable change in structure and antimicrobial potency and selectivity, but their mechanisms of microbial killing action were still unclear. Here, to better understand the bactericidal mechanisms of tritrpticin and its two analogs, TPA and TWF, we studied their effect on the viability of Gram-positive S. aureus and Gram-negative E. coli in relation to their membrane depolarization. Although TWF more effectively inhibited growth of S. aureus and E. coli than TPA, only a 30 min exposure to TPA was sufficient to kill both bacteria and TWF required a lag period of about 3-6 h for bactericidal activity. Their different bactericidal kinetics was associated with membrane permeabilization, i.e., TWF showed negligible ability to depolarize the cytoplasmic membrane potential of target cell membrane, whereas we observed significant membrane depolarization for TPA. In addition, while TPA caused rapid and large dye leakage from negatively charged model vesicles, TWF showed very little membrane-disrupting activity. Interestingly, we have looked for a synergism among the three peptides against E. coli, supporting that they are working with different modes of action. Collectively, our results suggest that TPA disrupts the ion gradients across the membrane, causing depolarization and a loss of microbial viability. By contrast, TWF more likely translocates across the cytoplasmic membrane without depolarization and then acts against one or more intracellular targets. Tritrpticin exhibits intermediate properties and appears to act via membrane depolarization coupled to secondary intracellular targeting.     

Antimicrobial and Membrane Disrupting Activities of a Peptide Derived from the Human Cathelicidin Antimicrobial Peptide LL37

A 21-residue peptide segment, LL7-27 (RKSKEKIGKEFKRIVQRIKDF), corresponding to residues 7-27 of the only human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, LL37, is shown to exhibit potent activity against microbes (particularly Gram-positive bacteria) but not against erythrocytes. The structure, membrane orientation, and target membrane selectivity of LL7-27 are characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, fluorescence, circular dichroism, and NMR experiments. An anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid uptake assay reveals two distinct modes of Escherichia coli outer membrane perturbation elicited by LL37 and LL7-27. The circular dichroism results show that conformational transitions are mediated by lipid-specific interactions in the case of LL7-27, unlike LL37. It folds into an α-helical conformation upon binding to anionic (but not zwitterionic) vesicles, and also does not induce dye leakage from zwitterionic lipid vesicles. Differential scanning calorimetry thermograms show that LL7-27 is completely integrated with DMPC/DMPG (3:1) liposomes, but induces peptide-rich and peptide-poor domains in DMPC liposomes. ¹⁵N NMR experiments on mechanically aligned lipid bilayers suggest that, like the full-length peptide LL37, the peptide LL7-27 is oriented close to the bilayer surface, indicating a carpet-type mechanism of action for the peptide. ³¹P NMR spectra obtained from POPC/POPG (3:1) bilayers containing LL7-27 show substantial disruption of the lipid bilayer structure and agree with the peptide's ability to induce dye leakage from POPC/POPG (3:1) vesicles. Cholesterol is shown to suppress peptide-induced disorder in the lipid bilayer structure. These results explain the susceptibility of bacteria and the resistance of erythrocytes to LL7-27, and may have implications for the design of membrane-selective therapeutic agents.     

The effect of binding of spider-derived antimicrobial peptides, oxyopinins, on lipid membranes

Oxyopinins (Oxki1 and Oxki2) are antimicrobial peptides isolated from the crude venom of the wolf spider Oxyopes kitabensis. The effect of oxyopinins on lipid bilayers was investigated using high-sensitivity titration calorimetry and ³¹P solid-state NMR spectroscopy. High-sensitivity titration calorimetry experiments showed that the binding of oxyopinins was exothermic, and the binding enthalpies (ΔH) to 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (POPC) small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) were − 18.1 kcal/mol and − 15.0 kcal/mol for Oxki1 and Oxki2, respectively, and peptide partition coefficient (K_p) was found to be 3.9 × 10³ M^− 1. ³¹P NMR spectra of 1,2-dielaidoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DEPE) membranes in the presence of oxyopinins indicated that they induced a positive curvature in lipid bilayers. The induced positive curvature was stronger in the presence of Oxki2 than in the presence of Oxki1. ³¹P NMR spectra of phosphaditylcholine (PC) membranes in the presence of Oxki2 showed that Oxki2 produced micellization of membranes at low peptide concentrations, but unsaturated PC membranes or acidic phospholipids prevented micellization from occurring. Furthermore, ³¹P NMR spectra using membrane lipids from E. coli suggested that Oxki1 was more disruptive to bacterial membranes than Oxki2. These results strongly correlate to the known biological activity of the oxyopinins.     

Interaction studies of novel cell selective antimicrobial peptides with model membranes and E. coli ATCC 11775

Cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) are novel candidates for drug development. Here we describe design of six short and potent CAMPs (SA-1 to SA-6) based on a minimalist template of 12 residues H+HHG+HH+HH+NH2 (where H: hydrophobic amino acid and +: charged hydrophilic amino acid). Designed peptides exhibit good antibacterial activity in micro molar concentration range (1-32 μg/ml) and rapid clearance of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains at concentrations higher than MIC. For elucidating mode of action of designed peptides various biophysical studies including CD and Trp fluorescence were performed using model membranes. Further based on activity, selectivity and membrane bound structure; modes of action of Trp rich peptide SA-3 and template based peptide SA-4 were compared. Calcein dye leakage and transmission electron microscopic studies with model membranes exhibited selective membrane active mode of action for peptide SA-3 and SA-4. Extending our work from model membranes to intact E. coli ATCC 11775 in scanning electron micrographs we could visualize different patterns of surface perturbation caused by peptide SA-3 and SA-4. Further at low concentration rapid translocation of FITC-tagged peptide SA-3 into the cytoplasm of E. coli cells without concomitant membrane perturbation indicates involvement of intracellular targeting mechanism as an alternate mode of action as was also evidenced in DNA retardation assay. For peptide SA-4 concentration dependent translocation into the bacterial cytoplasm along with membrane perturbation was observed. Establishment of a non specific membrane lytic mode of action of these peptides makes them suitable candidates for drug development.     

The N-terminal fragment of human islet amyloid polypeptide is non-fibrillogenic in the presence of membranes and does not cause leakage of bilayers of physiologically relevant lipid composition

Human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) forms amyloid fibrils in pancreatic islets of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). The formation of hIAPP fibrils has been shown to cause membrane damage which most likely is responsible for the death of pancreatic islet β-cells during the pathogenesis of DM2. Previous studies have shown that the N-terminal part of hIAPP, hIAPP_1-19, plays a major role in the initial interaction of hIAPP with lipid membranes. However, the exact role of this N-terminal part of hIAPP in causing membrane damage is unknown. Here we investigate the structure and aggregation properties of hIAPP_1-19 in relation to membrane damage in vitro by using membranes of the zwitterionic lipid phosphatidylcholine (PC), the anionic lipid phosphatidylserine (PS) and mixtures of these lipids to mimic membranes of islet cells. Our data reveal that hIAPP_1-19 is weakly fibrillogenic in solution and not fibrillogenic in the presence of membranes, where it adopts a secondary structure that is dependent on lipid composition and stable in time. Furthermore, hIAPP_1-19 is not able to induce leakage in membranes of PC/PS or PC bilayers, indicating that the membrane interaction of the N-terminal fragment by itself is not responsible for membrane leakage under physiologically relevant conditions. In bilayers of the anionic lipid PS, the peptide does induce membrane damage, but this leakage is not correlated to fibril formation, as it is for mature hIAPP. Hence, membrane permeabilization by the N-terminal fragment of hIAPP in anionic lipids is most likely an aspecific process, occurring via a mechanism that is not relevant for hIAPP-induced membrane damage in vivo.     

Reversible Liposome Association Induced by LAH4: A Peptide with Potent Antimicrobial and Nucleic Acid Transfection Activities

We report on the reversible association of anionic liposomes induced by an antimicrobial peptide (LAH4). The process has been characterized for mixed membranes of POPC and POPS at molar ratios of 1:1, 3:1, and 9:1. Although the vesicles remain in suspension in the presence of excess amounts of peptide, the addition of more lipids results in surface charge neutralization, aggregation of the liposomes, and formation of micrometer-sized structures that coexist in equilibrium with vesicles in suspension. At low ratios of anionic lipids, vesicle aggregation is a reversible process, and vesicle disassembly is observed upon inversion of the surface charge by further supplementation with anionic vesicles. In contrast, a different process, membrane fusion, occurs in the presence of high phosphatidylserine concentrations. Upon binding to membranes containing low POPS concentrations, the peptide adopts an in-plane α-helical structure, a secondary structure that is conserved during vesicle association and dissociation. Our finding that peptides are essential for vesicle aggregation contributes to a better understanding of the activity of antimicrobial peptides, and suggests an additional layer of complexity in membrane-protein lipid interactions.     

Amyloid-β Membrane Binding and Permeabilization are Distinct Processes Influenced Separately by Membrane Charge and Fluidity

The 40 and 42 residue amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides are major components of the proteinaceous plaques prevalent in the Alzheimer's disease-afflicted brain and have been shown to have an important role in instigating neuronal degeneration. Whereas it was previously thought that Aβ becomes cytotoxic upon forming large fibrillar aggregates, recent studies suggest that soluble intermediate-sized oligomeric species cause cell death through membrane permeabilization. The present study examines the interactions between Aβ40 and lipid membranes using liposomes as a model system to determine how changes in membrane composition influence the conversion of Aβ into these toxic species. Aβ40 membrane binding was monitored using fluorescence-based assays with a tryptophan-substituted peptide (Aβ40 [Y10W]). We extend previous observations that Aβ40 interacts preferentially with negatively charged membranes, and show that binding of nonfibrillar, low molecular mass oligomers of Aβ40 to anionic, but not neutral, membranes involves insertion of the peptide into the bilayer, as well as sequential conformational changes corresponding to the degree of oligomerization induced. Significantly, while anionic membranes in the gel, liquid crystalline, and liquid ordered phases induce these conformational changes equally, membrane permeabilization is reduced dramatically as the fluidity of the membrane is decreased. These findings demonstrate that binding alone is not sufficient for membrane permeabilization, and that the latter is also highly dependent on the fluidity and phase of the membrane. We conclude that binding and pore formation are two distinct steps. The differences in Aβ behavior induced by membrane composition may have significant implications on the development and progression of AD as neuronal membrane composition is altered with age.     

In vitro Unfolding and Refolding of the Small Multidrug Transporter EmrE

The composition of the lipid bilayer is increasingly being recognised as important for the regulation of integral membrane protein folding and function, both in vivo and in vitro. The folding of only a few membrane proteins, however, has been characterised in different lipid environments. We have refolded the small multidrug transporter EmrE in vitro from a denatured state to a functional protein and monitored the influence of lipids on the folding process. EmrE is part of a multidrug resistance protein family that is highly conserved amongst bacteria and is responsible for bacterial resistance to toxic substances. We find that the secondary structure of EmrE is very stable and only small amounts are denatured even in the presence of unusually high denaturant concentrations involving a combination of 10 M urea and 5% SDS. Substrate binding by EmrE is recovered after refolding this denatured protein into dodecylmaltoside detergent micelles or into lipid vesicles. The yield of refolded EmrE decreases with lipid bilayer compositional changes that increase the lateral chain pressure within the bilayer, whilst conversely, the apparent rate of folding seems to increase. These results add further weight to the hypothesis that an increased lateral chain pressure hinders protein insertion across the bilayer. Once the protein is inserted, however, the greater pressure on the transmembrane helices accelerates correct packing and final folding. This work augments the relatively small number of biophysical folding studies in vitro on helical membrane proteins.     

Structural rearrangement of model membranes by the peptide antibiotic NK-2

We have developed a novel α-helical peptide antibiotic termed NK-2. It efficiently kills bacteria, but not human cells, by membrane destruction. This selectivity could be attributed to the different membrane lipid compositions of the target cells. To understand the mechanisms of selectivity and membrane destruction, we investigated the influence of NK-2 on the supramolecular aggregate structure, the phase transition behavior, the acyl chain fluidity, and the surface charges of phospholipids representative for the bacterial and the human cell cytoplasmic membranes. The cationic NK-2 binds to anionic phosphatidylglycerol liposomes, causing a thinning of the membrane and an increase in the phase transition temperature. However, this interaction is not solely of electrostatic but also of hydrophobic nature, indicated by an overcompensation of the Zeta potential. Whereas NK-2 has no effect on phosphatidylcholine liposomes, it enhances the fluidity of phosphatidylethanolamine acyl chains and lowers the phase transition enthalpy of the gel to liquid cristalline transition. The most dramatic effect, however, was observed for the lamellar/inverted hexagonal transition of phosphatidylethanolamine which was reduced by more than 10 °C. Thus, NK-2 promotes a negative membrane curvature which can lead to the collapse of the phosphatidylethanolamine-rich bacterial cytoplasmic membrane.     

HIV Fusion Peptide Penetrates, Disorders, and Softens T-Cell Membrane Mimics

This work investigates the interaction of N-terminal gp41 fusion peptide (FP) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) with model membranes in order to elucidate how FP leads to fusion of HIV and T-cell membranes. FP constructs were (i) wild-type FP23 (23 N-terminal amino acids of gp41), (ii) water-soluble monomeric FP that adds six lysines on the C-terminus of FP23 (FPwsm), and (iii) the C-terminus covalently linked trimeric version (FPtri) of FPwsm. Model membranes were (i) LM3 (a T-cell mimic), (ii) 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, (iii) 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine/30 mol% cholesterol, (iv) 1,2-dierucoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, and (v) 1,2-dierucoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine/30 mol% cholesterol. Diffuse synchrotron low-angle x-ray scattering from fully hydrated samples, supplemented by volumetric data, showed that FP23 and FPtri penetrate into the hydrocarbon region and cause membranes to thin. Depth of penetration appears to depend upon a complex combination of factors including bilayer thickness, presence of cholesterol, and electrostatics. X-ray data showed an increase in curvature in hexagonal phase 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, which further indicates that FP23 penetrates into the hydrocarbon region rather than residing in the interfacial headgroup region. Low-angle x-ray scattering data also yielded the bending modulus K_C, a measure of membrane stiffness, and wide-angle x-ray scattering yielded the S_xray orientational order parameter. Both FP23 and FPtri decreased K_C and S_xray considerably, while the weak effect of FPwsm suggests that it did not partition strongly into LM3 model membranes. Our results are consistent with the HIV FP disordering and softening the T-cell membrane, thereby lowering the activation energy for viral membrane fusion.     

Thermodynamics of the coil <==> beta-sheet transition in a membrane environment

Biologically important peptides such as the Alzheimer peptide Abeta(1-40) display a reversible random coil <==>beta-structure transition at anionic membrane surfaces. In contrast to the well-studied random coil left arrow over right arrow alpha-helix transition of amphipathic peptides, there is a dearth on information on the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of the random coil left arrow over right arrow beta-structure transition. Here, we present a new method to quantitatively analyze the thermodynamic parameters of the membrane-induced beta-structure formation. We have used the model peptide (KIGAKI)(3) and eight analogues in which two adjacent amino acids were substituted by their d-enantiomers. The positions of the d,d pairs were shifted systematically along the three identical segments of the peptide chain. The beta-structure content of the peptides was measured in solution and when bound to anionic lipid membranes with circular dichroism spectroscopy. The thermodynamic binding parameters were determined with isothermal titration calorimetry and the binding isotherms were analysed by combining a surface partition equilibrium with the Gouy-Chapman theory. The thermodynamic parameters were found to be linearly correlated with the extent of beta-structure formation. beta-Structure formation at the membrane surface is characterized by an enthalpy change of DeltaH(beta)=-0.23 kcal/mol per residue, an entropy change of DeltaS(beta)=-0.24 cal/mol K residue and a free energy change of DeltaG(beta)=-0.15 kcal/mol residue. An increase in temperature induces an unfolding of beta-structure. The residual free energy of membrane-induced beta-structure formation is close to that of membrane-induced alpha-helix formation.     

Heterologous expression and solution structure of defensin from lentil Lens culinaris

A new defensin Lc-def, isolated from germinated seeds of the lentil Lens culinaris, has molecular mass 5440.4 Da and consists of 47 amino acid residues. Lc-def and its ¹⁵N-labeled analog were overexpressed in Escherichia coli. Antimicrobial activity of the recombinant protein was examined, and its spatial structure, dynamics, and interaction with lipid vesicles were studied by NMR spectroscopy. It was shown that Lc-def is active against fungi, but does not inhibit the growth of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The peptide is monomeric in aqueous solution and contains one α-helix and triple-stranded β-sheet, which form cysteine-stabilized αβ motif (CSαβ) previously found in other plant defensins. The sterically neighboring loop1 and loop3 protrude from the defensin core and demonstrate significant mobility on the μs–ms timescale. Lc-def does not bind to the zwitterionic lipid (POPC) vesicles but interacts with the partially anionic (POPC/DOPG, 7:3) membranes under low-salt conditions. The Lc-def antifungal activity might be mediated through electrostatic interaction with anionic lipid components of fungal membranes.     

Effect of lipid composition on the topography of membrane-associated hydrophobic helices: stabilization of transmembrane topography by anionic lipids

To investigate the effect of lipid structure upon the membrane topography of hydrophobic helices, the behavior of hydrophobic peptides was studied in model membrane vesicles. To define topography, fluorescence and fluorescence quenching methods were used to determine the location of a Trp at the center of the hydrophobic sequence. For peptides with cationic residues flanking the hydrophobic sequence, the stability of the transmembrane (TM) configuration (relative to a membrane-bound non-TM state) increased as a function of lipid composition on the order: 1:1 (mol:mol) 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC):1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine ∼ 6:4 POPC:cholesterol < POPC ∼ dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) < 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-[phospho-rac-(1-glycerol)] sodium salt (DOPG) ≤ 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-[phospho-l-serine] sodium salt (DOPS), indicating that the anionic lipids DOPG and DOPS most strongly stabilized the TM configuration. TM stabilization was near maximal at 20-30 mol% anionic lipid, which are physiologically relevant values. TM stabilization by anionic lipid was observed for hydrophobic sequences with a diverse set of sequences (including polyAla), diverse lengths (from 12 to 22 residues), and various cationic flanking residues (H, R, or K), but not when the flanking residues were uncharged. TM stabilization by anionic lipid was also dependent on the number of cationic residues flanking the hydrophobic sequence, but was still significant with only one cationic residue flanking each end of the peptide. These observations are consistent with TM-stabilizing effects being electrostatic in origin. However, Trp located more deeply in DOPS vesicles relative to DOPG vesicles, and peptides in DOPS vesicles showed increased helix formation relative to DOPG and all other lipid compositions. These observations fit a model in which DOPS anchors flanking residues near the membrane surface more strongly than does DOPG and/or increases the stability of the TM state to a greater degree than DOPG. We conclude that anionic lipids can have significant and headgroup structure-specific effects upon membrane protein topography.     

Lipid binding specificity of bovine α-lactalbumin: A multidimensional approach

Many soluble proteins are known to interact with membranes in partially disordered states, and the mechanism and relevance of such interactions in cellular processes are beginning to be understood. Bovine α-lactalbumin (BLA) represents an excellent prototype for monitoring membrane interaction due to its conformational plasticity. In this work, we comprehensively monitored the interaction of apo-BLA with zwitterionic and negatively charged membranes utilizing a variety of approaches. We show that BLA preferentially binds to negatively charged membranes at acidic pH with higher binding affinity. This is supported by spectral changes observed with a potential-sensitive membrane probe and fluorescence anisotropy measurements of a hydrophobic probe. Our results show that BLA exhibits a molten globule conformation when bound to negatively charged membranes. We further show, using the parallax approach, that BLA penetrates the interior of negatively charged membranes, and tryptophan residues are localized at the membrane interface. Red edge excitation shift (REES) measurements reveal that the immediate environment of tryptophans in membrane-bound BLA is restricted, and the restriction is dependent on membrane lipid composition. We envision that understanding the mechanism of BLA–membrane interaction would help in bioengineering of α-lactalbumin, and to address the mechanism of tumoricidal and antimicrobial activities of BLA–oleic acid complex.     

Cell-Wall Interactions and the Selective Bacteriostatic Activity of a Miniature Oligo-Acyl-Lysyl

The oligo-acyl-lysyl, C_12(ω7)K-β₁₂, is comprised of only three Lys residues. Despite its small size, it exhibits potent bacteriostatic activity against Gram-positive bacteria, but it is ∼10-fold less potent against Gram-negative bacteria. We followed the interactions of C_12(ω7)K-β₁₂ from its initial contact with the bacterial surface across the cell wall down to the cytoplasmic membrane. Binding to anionic lipids, as well as to negatively charged LPS and LTA, occurs with very high affinity. The C_12(ω7)K-β₁₂ does not cross the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria; rather, it achieves its action by depositing on the LPS layer, promoting surface adhesion and blocking passage of solutes. In Gram-positive bacteria, the thick peptidoglycan layer containing LTA allows passage of C_12(ω7)K-β₁₂ and promotes its accumulation in the small periplasm. From that location it is then driven to the membrane by strong electrostatic interactions. Despite its high potency against Gram-positive bacteria, this agent is not capable of efficiently breaking down the permeability barrier of the cytoplasmic membrane or of reaching an intracellular target, as suggested by the fact that it does not interact with DNA.     

NMR based structure-activity relationship analysis of an antimicrobial peptide, thanatin, engineered by site-specific chemical modification: Activity improvement and spectrum alteration

Activity improvement of an antimicrobial peptide, thanatin, has been achieved up to 4-fold higher than natural original one by site-specific chemical modifications with tert-butyl group at two cysteine residues which form an intramoleular disulfide bridge. The chemically modified thanatin (C11tBu/C18tBu) exhibited improved antimicrobial activity toward Gram-positive bacteria, Micrococcus luteus, whereas lowered activity toward Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli. This finding suggests that disulfide-bridge formation is not only indispensable for exhibition of antimicrobial activity of thanatin but also closely related to the activity specificity towards bacteria. NMR analysis indicates that thanatin acts against E.coli stereospecifically by taking advantage of its C-terminal β-hairpin structure, while the activity against M. luteus does not relate to structures and correlates very well to side-chain hydrophobicity.     

Aggregates of nisin with various bactoprenol-containing cell wall precursors differ in size and membrane permeation capacity

Many lantibiotics use the membrane bound cell wall precursor Lipid II as a specific target for killing Gram-positive bacteria. Binding of Lipid II usually impedes cell wall biosynthesis, however, some elongated lantibiotics such as nisin, use Lipid II also as a docking molecule for pore formation in bacterial membranes. Although the unique nisin pore formation can be analyzed in Lipid II-doped vesicles, mechanistic details remain elusive. We used optical sectioning microscopy to directly visualize the interaction of fluorescently labeled nisin with membranes of giant unilamellar vesicles containing Lipid II and its various bactoprenol precursors. We quantitatively analyzed the binding and permeation capacity of nisin when applied at nanomolar concentrations. Specific interactions with Lipid I, Lipid II and bactoprenol-diphosphate (C₅₅-PP), but not bactoprenol-phosphate (C₅₅-P), resulted in the formation of large molecular aggregates. For Lipid II, we demonstrated the presence of both nisin and Lipid II in these aggregates. Membrane permeation induced by nisin was observed in the presence of Lipid I and Lipid II, but not in the presence of C₅₅-PP. Notably, the size of the C₅₅-PP–nisin aggregates was significantly smaller than that of the aggregates formed with Lipid I and Lipid II. We conclude that the membrane permeation capacity of nisin is determined by the size of the bactoprenol-containing aggregates in the membrane. Notably, transmitted light images indicated that the formation of large aggregates led to a pinch-off of small vesicles, a mechanism, which probably limits the growth of aggregates and induces membrane leakage.