Orientation and lipid-peptide interactions of gramicidin A in lipid membranes: polarized attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy and spin-label electron spin resonance

Gramicidin A was incorporated at a peptide/lipid ratio of 1:10 mol/mol in aligned bilayers of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC), phosphatidylserine (DMPS), phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG), and phosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE), from trifluoroethanol. Orientations of the peptide and lipid chains were determined by polarized attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy. Lipid-peptide interactions with gramicidin A in DMPC bilayers were studied with different spin-labeled lipid species by using electron spin resonance spectroscopy. In DMPC membranes, the orientation of the lipid chains is comparable to that in the absence of peptide, in both gel and fluid phases. In gel-phase DMPC, the effective tilt of the peptide exceeds that of the lipid chains, but in the fluid phase both are similar. For gramicidin A in DMPS, DMPG, and DMPE, the degree of orientation of the peptide and lipid chains is less than in DMPC. In the fluid phase of DMPS, DMPG, and DMPE, gramicidin A is also less well oriented than are the lipid chains. In DMPE especially, gramicidin A is largely disordered. In DMPC membranes, three to four lipids per monomer experience direct motional restriction on interaction with gramicidin A. This is approximately half the number of lipids expected to contact the intramembranous perimeter of the gramicidin A monomer. A selectivity for certain negatively charged lipids is found in the interaction with gramicidin A in DMPC. These results are discussed in terms of the integration of gramicidin A channels in lipid bilayers, and of the interactions of lipids with integral membrane proteins.     

Effect of Lipid Head Groups on Double-Layered Two-Dimensional Crystals Formed by Aquaporin-0

Aquaporin-0 (AQP0) is a lens-specific water channel that also forms membrane junctions. Reconstitution of AQP0 with dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and E. coli polar lipids (EPL) yielded well-ordered, double-layered two-dimensional (2D) crystals that allowed electron crystallographic structure determination of the AQP0-mediated membrane junction. The interacting tetramers in the two crystalline layers are exactly in register, resulting in crystals with p422 symmetry. The high-resolution density maps also allowed modeling of the annular lipids surrounding the tetramers. Comparison of the DMPC and EPL bilayers suggested that the lipid head groups do not play an important role in the interaction of annular lipids with AQP0. We now reconstituted AQP0 with the anionic lipid dimyristoyl phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG), which yielded a mixture of 2D crystals with different symmetries. The different crystal symmetries result from shifts between the two crystalline layers, suggesting that the negatively charged PG head group destabilizes the interaction between the extracellular AQP0 surfaces. Reconstitution of AQP0 with dimyristoyl phosphatidylserine (DMPS), another anionic lipid, yielded crystals that had the usual p422 symmetry, but the crystals showed a pH-dependent tendency to stack through their cytoplasmic surfaces. Finally, AQP0 failed to reconstitute into membranes that were composed of more than 40% dimyristoyl phosphatidic acid (DMPA). Hence, although DMPG, DMPS, and DMPA are all negatively charged lipids, they have very different effects on AQP0 2D crystals, illustrating the importance of the specific lipid head group chemistry beyond its mere charge.     

Reconstitution of transferrin receptor in mixed lipid vesicles. An example of the role of elastic and electrostatic forces for protein/lipid assembly

We studied the interaction of transferrin receptors (of cell line Molt-4) with mixed model membranes as a function of lipid chain length (phospholipids with C14:0 and C18:1 hydrocarbon chains) and of the surface charge of the membrane using mixtures of C14:0 lecithin (DMPC) with C14:0 phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) and C14:0 phosphatidylserine (DMPS). Spontaneous self-assembly of receptors and lipids was achieved by freeze-thaw cycles of a codispersion of mixed vesicles and receptors in buffer and subsequent separation of receptor-loaded and receptor-free vesicles by density gradient centrifugation. Information on specific lipid/protein interaction mechanisms was obtained by evaluation of protein-induced shifts of phase boundaries of lipid mixtures by calorimetry and by FTIR spectroscopy of partially deuterated lipid mixtures. The important role (1) of minimizing the elastic forces caused by the mismatch of the lengths of hydrophobic cores of the protein (lp) and the bilayer (lL) and (2) of the electrostatic coupling of protein head groups with the charged membrane/water interface for the lipid/protein self-assembly is established. The electrostatic interaction energy per receptor is about 10(3) kBT (by coupling to about 1000 charged lipids) which is sufficient to overcompensate the elastic energy associated with a mismatch of lp - lL approximately 1.0 nm. The maximum receptor concentration incorporated was measured as a function of membrane surface charge and lipid chain length. The maximum receptor molar fraction varied from xpmax = 5 x 10(-5) for DMPC to xpmax = 4 x 10(-4) for 1:1 DMPC/DMPG; moreover xpmax is higher for DMPS than for DMPG as charged component. For the long-chain lipids, xpmax is higher for a 9:1 DEPE/DEPC mixture [(4.2-9) x 10(-4)] than for pure DEPC (ca. 3.5 x 10(-4)). By decomposition of reconstituted receptors with proteases, we demonstrated the homogeneous orientation of the receptor with its extracellular head group pointing to the convex side of the vesicles.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Insights on the interaction of met-enkephalin with negatively charged membranes--an infrared and solid-state NMR spectroscopic study

Enkephalins are pentapeptides found in the human nervous system, where they are involved in the relief of pain. The interaction of these neuropeptides with the nerve cell membranes would be a key-step in the receptor binding. We have used both Fourier-transform infrared and solid-state NMR spectroscopies to shed light on the interactions responsible for the association of enkephalins with negatively charged membranes. More specifically, we have investigated the interaction of methionine-enkephalin (Menk) with DMPG and DMPS vesicles. Our results suggest that Menk interacts electrostatically with both model membranes via its terminal NH₃⁺ group. However, the peptide induced the formation of elongated DMPG vesicles in the magnetic field. On the other hand, the association of Menk with DMPS bilayers was concentration-dependent and disrupted the membrane at high peptide concentrations. The different effect of methionine-enkephalin with the two types of anionic membranes is most likely related to the different fluidity of these systems.     

Structural effects of the antimicrobial peptide maculatin 1.1 on supported lipid bilayers

The interactions of the antimicrobial peptide maculatin 1.1 (GLFGVLAKVAAHVVPAIAEHF-NH₂) with model phospholipid membranes were studied by use of dual polarisation interferometry and neutron reflectometry and dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and mixed DMPC–dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol (DMPG)-supported lipid bilayers chosen to mimic eukaryotic and prokaryotic membranes, respectively. In DMPC bilayers concentration-dependent binding and increasing perturbation of bilayer order by maculatin were observed. By contrast, in mixed DMPC–DMPG bilayers, maculatin interacted more strongly and in a concentration-dependent manner with retention of bilayer lipid order and structure, consistent with pore formation. These results emphasise the importance of membrane charge in mediating antimicrobial peptide activity and emphasise the importance of using complementary methods of analysis in probing the mode of action of antimicrobial peptides.     

Calcium-induced lateral phase separations in phosphatidylcholine-phosphatidic acid mixtures. A Raman spectroscopic study

The effects of calcium ions on mixed membranes of dimyristoylphosphatidic acid (DMPA) and dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) with either the PA or the PC component deuterated have been studied by Raman spectroscopy. The spectra of the pure components show that the acyl chains of hydrated DMPA bilayers are less tightly packed and have more trans bonds than those of DMPC. This behavior appears to be due to the particular arrangement of the polar head groups of DMPA for which the glycerol chain is oriented parallel to the bilayer surface. In agreement with the calorimetrically determined phase diagram [Graham, I., Gagné, J., & Silvius, J. R. (1985) Biochemistry (preceding paper in this issue)], the Raman results show that, in the absence of calcium, DMPA and DMPC are completely miscible at an equimolar ratio but undergo extensive phase separation in the presence of excess calcium. DMPC in phase-separated DMPC-DMPA (Ca2+) mixtures has a conformation that is very similar to that of pure DMPC bilayers, but it is packed more tightly since, depending on the temperature, it is at least partly incorporated into either a solid solution in DMPA or a DMPA-Ca2+-rich "cochleate" phase. This latter shows the same characteristics as the cochleate phase of pure DMPA-Ca2+ which is highly ordered and does not give rise to a thermotropic transition between 5 and 100 degrees C. However, the cochleate phase in DMPA (Ca2+)-DMPC mixtures contains some 20 mol % of DMPC trapped in small domains. These clusters do not melt cooperatively but become as fluid as pure DMPC at 50 degrees C.     

The effect of calcium on the properties of charged phospholipid bilayers

We have performed molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the structure and dynamics of charged bilayers as well as the distribution of counterions at the bilayer interface. For this, we have considered the negatively charged di-myristoyl-phosphatidyl-glycerol (DMPG) and di-myristoyl-phosphatidyl-serine (DMPS) bilayers as well as a protonated di-myristoyl-phosphatidyl-serine (DMPSH) bilayer. We were particularly interested in calcium ions due to their important role in biological systems. Simulations performed in the presence of calcium ions (DMPG, DMPS) or sodium ions (DMPS) were run for 45-60 ns. Simulation results for DMPG are compared with fluorescence measurements. The average areas per molecule were 47.4 ± 0.5 Å² (DMPG with calcium), 47.3 ± 0.5 Å² (DMPS with calcium), 51.3 ± 1.0 Å² (DMPS with sodium) and 45.3 ± 0.5 Å² (DMPSH). The structure of the negatively charged lipids is significantly affected by the counterions, where calcium ions have a more pronounced effect than sodium ions. Calcium ions were found to be tightly bound to the anionic groups of the lipid molecules and as such appear to constitute an integral part of the membrane interface on nanoseconds time scales. In contrast to sodium ions, calcium ions are localised in a narrow (∼ 10 Å) band around the phosphate group. The interaction of calcium with the lipid molecules enhances the molecular packing of the PG and PS lipids. This observation is in good agreement with emission spectra of the membrane partitioning probe Laurdan in DMPG multilamellar vesicles that indicate an increase in the ordering of the DMPG bilayer due to the presence of calcium. Our results indicate that calcium ions, which often function as a second messengers in living cells have a pronounced effect on membrane structures, which may have implications during signal transduction events.     

The effect of calcium on the properties of charged phospholipid bilayers

We have performed molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the structure and dynamics of charged bilayers as well as the distribution of counterions at the bilayer interface. For this, we have considered the negatively charged di-myristoyl-phosphatidyl-glycerol (DMPG) and di-myristoyl-phosphatidyl-serine (DMPS) bilayers as well as a protonated di-myristoyl-phosphatidyl-serine (DMPSH) bilayer. We were particularly interested in calcium ions due to their important role in biological systems. Simulations performed in the presence of calcium ions (DMPG, DMPS) or sodium ions (DMPS) were run for 45-60 ns. Simulation results for DMPG are compared with fluorescence measurements. The average areas per molecule were 47.4+/-0.5 A2 (DMPG with calcium), 47.3+/-0.5 A2 (DMPS with calcium), 51.3+/-1.0 A2 (DMPS with sodium) and 45.3+/-0.5 A2 (DMPSH). The structure of the negatively charged lipids is significantly affected by the counterions, where calcium ions have a more pronounced effect than sodium ions. Calcium ions were found to be tightly bound to the anionic groups of the lipid molecules and as such appear to constitute an integral part of the membrane interface on nanoseconds time scales. In contrast to sodium ions, calcium ions are localised in a narrow (approximately 10 A) band around the phosphate group. The interaction of calcium with the lipid molecules enhances the molecular packing of the PG and PS lipids. This observation is in good agreement with emission spectra of the membrane partitioning probe Laurdan in DMPG multilamellar vesicles that indicate an increase in the ordering of the DMPG bilayer due to the presence of calcium. Our results indicate that calcium ions, which often function as a second messengers in living cells have a pronounced effect on membrane structures, which may have implications during signal transduction events.     

Conformational changes of phospholipid headgroups induced by a cationic integral membrane peptide as seen by deuterium magnetic resonance

Deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (2H NMR) was used to study the interaction of a cationic amphiphilic peptide with pure DMPC membranes and with mixed bilayers of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dimyristoylphosphatidylserine (DMPS). The choline and serine headgroups were selectively deuteriated at the alpha and beta positions. The amphiphilic peptide, with 20 leucine residues in the hydrophobic core and two cationic hydrophilic lysine residues at each end, spanned the lipid bilayer. Although 2H NMR experiments using DMPC with perdeuteriated fatty acyl chains showed that the average order parameter of the hydrophobic region was not significantly modified by the incorporation of the amphiphilic peptide, for either DMPC or DMPC/DMPS (5:1) bilayers, large perturbations of the quadrupolar splittings of the choline and serine headgroups were observed. The results obtained with the DMPC headgroup suggest that the incorporation of the cationic peptide in both DMPC and DMPC/DMPS (5:1) bilayers leads to a structural perturbation directly related to the net charge on the membrane surface. The magnitude of the observed effect seems to be similar to those observed previously with other cationic molecules [Seelig, J., MacDonald, P.M., & Scherer, P.G. (1987) Biochemistry 26, 7535-7541]. Two of the three quadrupolar splittings of the PS headgroup exhibited large variations in the presence of the amphiphilic peptide, while the third one remained unchanged. Our data have led us to propose a model describing the influence of membrane surface charges on headgroup conformation. In this model, the surface charge is represented as a uniform charge distribution. The electric field due to the charges produces a torque which rotates the polar headgroups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Mechanism of membrane binding by the bovine seminal plasma protein,PDC-109: a surface plasmon resonance study

PDC-109, the major protein of bovine seminal plasma, binds to sperm plasma membranes upon ejaculation and plays a crucial role in the subsequent events leading to fertilization. The binding process is mediated primarily by the specific interaction of PDC-109 with choline-containing phospholipids. In the present study the kinetics and mechanism of the interaction of PDC-109 with phospholipid membranes were investigated by the surface plasmon resonance technique. Binding of PDC-109 to different phospholipid membranes containing 20% cholesterol (wt/wt) indicated that binding occurs by a single-step mechanism. The association rate constant (k(1)) for the binding of PDC-109 to dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) membranes containing cholesterol was estimated to be 5.7 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) at 20 degrees C, while the values of k(1) estimated at the same temperature for the binding to membranes of negatively charged phospholipids such as dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) and dimyristoylphosphatidic acid (DMPA) containing 20% cholesterol (wt/wt) were at least three orders of magnitude lower. The dissociation rate constant (k(-1)) for the DMPC/PDC-109 system was found to be 2.7 x 10(-2) s(-1) whereas the k(-1) values obtained with DMPG and DMPA was about three to four times higher. From the kinetic data, the association constant for the binding of PDC-109 to DMPC was estimated as 2.1 x 10(7) M(-1). The association constants for different phospholipids investigated decrease in the order: DMPC > DMPG > DMPA > DMPE. Thus the higher affinity of PDC-109 for choline phospholipids is reflected in a faster association rate constant and a slower dissociation rate constant for DMPC as compared to the other phospholipids. Binding of PDC-109 to dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine and dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine, which are also zwitterionic, was found to be very weak, clearly indicating that the charge on the lipid headgroup is not the determining factor for the binding. Analysis of the activation parameters indicates that the interaction of PDC-109 with DMPC membranes is favored by a strong entropic contribution, whereas negative entropic contribution is primarily responsible for the rather weak interaction of this protein with DMPA and DMPG.     

Real-time quantitative analysis of lipid disordering by aurein 1.2 during membrane adsorption, destabilisation and lysis

Effective antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) distinguish between the host and microbial cells, show selective antimicrobial activity and exhibit a fast killing mechanism. Although understanding the structure-function characteristics of AMPs is important, the impact of the peptides on the architecture of membranes with different lipid compositions is also critical in understanding the molecular mechanism and specificity of membrane destabilisation. In this study, the destabilisation of supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) by the AMP aurein 1.2 was quantitatively analysed by dual polarisation interferometry. The lipid bilayers were formed on a planar silicon oxynitride chip, and composed of mixed synthetic lipids, or Escherichiacoli lipid extract. The molecular events leading sequentially from peptide adsorption to membrane lysis were examined in real time by changes in bilayer birefringence (lipid molecular ordering) as a function of membrane-bound peptide mass. Aurein 1.2 bound weakly without any change in membrane ordering at low peptide concentration (5 μM), indicating a surface-associated state without significant perturbation in membrane structure. At 10 μM peptide, marked reversible changes in molecular ordering were observed for all membranes except DMPE/DMPG. However, at 20 μM aurein 1.2, removal of lipid molecules, as determined by mass loss with a concomitant decrease in birefringence during the association phase, was observed for DMPC and DMPC/DMPG SLBs, which indicates membrane lysis by aurein. The membrane destabilisation induced by aurein 1.2 showed cooperativity at a particular peptide/lipid ratio with a critical mass/molecular ordering value. Furthermore, the extent of membrane lysis for DMPC/DMPG was nearly double that for DMPC. However, no lysis was observed for DMPC/DMPG/cholesterol, DMPE/DMPG and E. coli SLBs. The extent of birefringence changes with peptide mass suggested that aurein 1.2 binds to the membrane without inserting through the bilayer and membrane lysis occurs through detergent-like micellisation above a critical P/L ratio. Real-time quantitative analysis of the structural properties of membrane organisation has allowed the membrane destabilisation process to be resolved into multiple steps and provides comprehensive information to determine the molecular mechanism of aurein 1.2 action.     

2H and 31P NMR study of pentalysine interaction with headgroup deuterated phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine

The interaction of cationic pentalysine with phospholipid membranes was studied by using phosphorus and deuterium Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) of headgroup deuterated dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dimyristoyl phosphatidylserine (DMPS). In the absence of pentalysine, some of the deuterium and phosphorus spectra of DMPC/DMPS 5:1 (m:m) membranes gave lineshapes similar to those of partially-oriented bilayers with the planes of the bilayers being parallel to the magnetic field. The deuterium NMR data show that the quadrupolar splittings of the deuterated methylenes of the DMPC headgroup are not affected by adsorption of pentalysine on the PC/PS membranes. By contrast, the pentalysine produces significant changes in the quadrupolar splittings of the negatively charged DMPS headgroup. The results are discussed in relation to previous ²H NMR investigations of phospholipid headgroup perturbations arising from bilayer interaction with cationic molecules.Abbreviations NMR nuclear magnetic resonance - DMPC 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine - DMPS 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoserine - POPC 1-palmitoyl, 2-oleyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine - POPG 1-palmitoyl-2-oleyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol - PC phosphatidylcholine - PS phosphatidyl serine - PG phosphatidylglycerol - HEPES N-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)piperazine-N-2-ethanesulfonic acid - TRIS tris-(hydroxymethyl)aminoethane - EDTA ethylenediamine-tetra-acetic acid     

Fragments from actin binding protein (ABP-280; filamin) insert into reconstituted lipid layers.

Previous computer analyses suggested two possible lipid binding sites, residues 49-71 and 131-155, of the primary amino acid sequence on ABP-280 (filamin), which could facilitate membrane attachment/insertion. We expressed these regions as fusion proteins with schistosomal GST and investigated their interaction with mixtures of zwitterionic (dimyristoyl-l-alpha-phosphatidylcholine, DMPC) and anionic (dimyristoyl-l-alpha-phosphatidylglycerol, DMPG) phospholipids in reconstituted lipid bilayers by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Using vesicles of mixed DMPC/DMPG with increasing fusion protein concentrations, we established in calorimetric assays a decrease of the main chain transition enthalpy, DeltaH, and a shift in chain melting temperature. This is indicative of the insertion of these fragments into the hydrophobic region of lipid membranes. We confirmed these findings by the film balance technique using lipid monolayers (DMPG). The binding judged from both methods was of moderate affinity.     

Interactions of a synthetic Leu–Lys-rich antimicrobial peptide with phospholipid bilayers

The interaction of the synthetic antimicrobial peptide P5 (KWKKLLKKPLLKKLLKKL-NH₂) with model phospholipid membranes was studied using solid-state NMR and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. P5 peptide had little secondary structure in buffer, but addition of large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) composed of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) increased the β-sheet content to ~20%. Addition of negatively charged LUV, DMPC–dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) 2:1, led to a substantial (~40%) increase of the α-helical conformation. The peptide structure did not change significantly above and below the phospholipid phase transition temperature. P5 peptide interacted differently with DMPC bilayers with deuterated acyl chains (d₅₄-DMPC) and mixed d₅₄-DMPC–DMPG bilayers, used to mimic eukaryotic and prokaryotic membranes, respectively. In DMPC vesicles, P5 peptide had no significant interaction apart from slightly perturbing the upper region of the lipid acyl chain with minimum effect at the terminal methyl groups. By contrast, in the DMPC–DMPG vesicles the peptide increased disorder throughout the entire acyl chain of DMPC in the mixed bilayer. P5 promoted disordering of the headgroup of neutral membranes, observed by ³¹P NMR. However, no perturbations in the T ₁ relaxation nor the T ₂- values were observed at 30°C, although a slight change in the dynamics of the headgroup at 20°C was noticeable compared with peptide-free vesicles. However, the P5 peptide caused similar perturbations of the headgroup of negatively charged vesicles at both temperatures. These data correlate with the non-haemolytic activity of the P5 peptide against red blood cells (neutral membranes) while inhibiting bacterial growth (negatively charged membranes).     

New insights into the influence of monofluorination on dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine membrane properties: A solid-state NMR study

Solid-state ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy is a method of choice to study the interactions between lipid membranes and other molecules such as peptides, proteins or drugs. Numerous fluorine-labeled NMR probes have been developed over the last few years, especially fluorine-labeled peptides. In order to develop a new kind of NMR reporter molecule and a complementary approach to fluorine-labeling of peptides, we synthesized six monofluorinated derivatives of the lipid dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (F-DMPC), with the fluorine atom located along the acyl chain linked to the central glycerol position. To better understand the behavior of these fluorine-labeled lipids, we report here the investigation of F-DMPC membrane properties using solid-state ²H, ¹⁵N, ¹⁹F‐ and ³¹P‐NMR spectroscopy. This study was carried out on pure F-DMPC bilayers as well as F-DMPC/DMPC mixtures at various ratios. Slight perturbations were observed for pure F-DMPC multilamellar vesicles (MLVs), most noticeable for lipids with the fluorine atom located at the extremities of the acyl chain. On the other hand, no significant perturbations were observed for F-DMPC/DMPC MLVs containing up to 25% F-DMPC, nor for any fluorine-labeled bilayers that were prepared as macroscopically oriented samples. To test the interaction with some representative peptides, ¹⁵N-labeled α-helical antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) were incorporated into F-DMPC/DMPC (1/3) bilayers. ¹⁵N SS-NMR analyses confirmed that the known orientation of each AMP in pure DMPC was preserved in the presence of 25% monofluorinated DMPC, irrespective of the position of the ¹⁹F-label. In summary, F-DMPC/DMPC (1/3) model membranes can be used as NMR reporter to study membrane interactions with other molecules.     

Derivative spectrophotometry as a tool for the determination of drug partition coefficients in water/dimyristoyl-L-alpha-phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) liposomes.

The partition coefficients (K(p)) between lipid bilayers of dimyristoyl-L-alpha-phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) unilamellar liposomes and water were determined using derivative spectrophotometry for chlordiazepoxide (benzodiazepine), isoniazid and rifampicin (tuberculostatic drugs) and dibucaine (local anaesthetic). A comparison of the K(p) values in water/DMPG with those in water/DMPC (dimyristoyl-L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine) revealed that for chlordiazepoxide and isoniazid, neutral drugs at physiological pH, the partition coefficients are similar in anionic (DMPG) and zwitterionic (DMPC) liposomes. However, for ionised drugs at physiological pH, the electrostatic interactions are different with DMPG and DMPC, with the cationic dibucaine having a stronger interaction with DMPG, and the anionic rifampicin having a much larger K(p) in zwitterionic DMPC. These results show that liposomes are a better model membrane than an isotropic two-phase solvent system, such as water-octanol, to predict drug-membrane partition coefficients, as they mimic better the hydrophobic part and the outer polar charged surface of the phospholipids of natural membranes.     

Interactions of the Australian tree frog antimicrobial peptides aurein 1.2, citropin 1.1 and maculatin 1.1 with lipid model membranes: differential scanning calorimetric and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic studies

The interactions of the antimicrobial peptides aurein 1.2, citropin 1.1 and maculatin 1.1 with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC), dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) and dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE) were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The effects of these peptides on the thermotropic phase behavior of DMPC and DMPG are qualitatively similar and manifested by the suppression of the pretransition, and by peptide concentration-dependent decreases in the temperature, cooperativity and enthalpy of the gel/liquid-crystalline phase transition. However, at all peptide concentrations, anionic DMPG bilayers are more strongly perturbed than zwitterionic DMPC bilayers, consistent with membrane surface charge being an important aspect of the interactions of these peptides with phospholipids. However, at all peptide concentrations, the perturbation of the thermotropic phase behavior of zwitterionic DMPE bilayers is weak and discernable only when samples are exposed to high temperatures. FTIR spectroscopy indicates that these peptides are unstructured in aqueous solution and that they fold into alpha-helices when incorporated into lipid membranes. All three peptides undergo rapid and extensive H-D exchange when incorporated into D(2)O-hydrated phospholipid bilayers, suggesting that they are located in solvent-accessible environments, most probably in the polar/apolar interfacial regions of phospholipid bilayers. The perturbation of model lipid membranes by these peptides decreases in magnitude in the order maculatin 1.1>aurein 1.2>citropin 1.1, whereas the capacity to inhibit Acholeplasma laidlawii B growth decreases in the order maculatin 1.1>aurein 1.2 congruent with citropin 1.1. The higher efficacy of maculatin 1.1 in disrupting model and biological membranes can be rationalized by its larger size and higher net charge. However, despite its smaller size and lower net charge, aurein 1.2 is more disruptive of model lipid membranes than citropin 1.1 and exhibits comparable antimicrobial activity, probably because aurein 1.2 has a higher propensity for partitioning into phospholipid membranes.     

Effect of Membrane Composition on Antimicrobial Peptides Aurein 2.2 and 2.3 From Australian Southern Bell Frogs

The effects of hydrophobic thickness and the molar phosphatidylglycerol (PG) content of lipid bilayers on the structure and membrane interaction of three cationic antimicrobial peptides were examined: aurein 2.2, aurein 2.3 (almost identical to aurein 2.2, except for a point mutation at residue 13), and a carboxy C-terminal analog of aurein 2.3. Circular dichroism results indicated that all three peptides adopt an α-helical structure in the presence of a 3:1 molar mixture of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine/1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-[phospho-rac-(1-glycerol)] (DMPC/DMPG), and 1:1 and 3:1 molar mixtures of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine/1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-[phospho-rac-(1-glycerol)] (POPC/POPG). Oriented circular dichroism data for three different lipid compositions showed that all three peptides were surface-adsorbed at low peptide concentrations, but were inserted into the membrane at higher peptide concentrations. The ³¹P solid-state NMR data of the three peptides in the DMPC/DMPG and POPC/POPG bilayers showed that all three peptides significantly perturbed lipid headgroups, in a peptide or lipid composition-dependent manner. Differential scanning calorimetry results demonstrated that both amidated aurein peptides perturbed the overall phase structure of DMPC/DMPG bilayers, but perturbed the POPC/POPG chains less. The nature of the perturbation of DMPC/DMPG bilayers was most likely micellization, and for the POPC/POPG bilayers, distorted toroidal pores or localized membrane aggregate formation. Calcein release assay results showed that aurein peptide-induced membrane leakage was more severe in DMPC/DMPG liposomes than in POPC/POPG liposomes, and that aurein 2.2 induced higher calcein release than aurein 2.3 and aurein 2.3-COOH from 1:1 and 3:1 POPC/POPG liposomes. Finally, DiSC₃5 assay data further delineated aurein 2.2 from the others by showing that it perturbed the lipid membranes of intact S. aureus C622 most efficiently, whereas aurein 2.3 had the same efficiency as gramicidin S, and aurein 2.3-COOH was the least efficient. Taken together, these data show that the membrane interactions of aurein peptides are affected by the hydrophobic thickness of the lipid bilayers and the PG content.     

Interactions of the Australian tree frog antimicrobial peptides aurein 1.2, citropin 1.1 and maculatin 1.1 with lipid model membranes: Differential scanning calorimetric and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic studies

The interactions of the antimicrobial peptides aurein 1.2, citropin 1.1 and maculatin 1.1 with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC), dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) and dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE) were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The effects of these peptides on the thermotropic phase behavior of DMPC and DMPG are qualitatively similar and manifested by the suppression of the pretransition, and by peptide concentration-dependent decreases in the temperature, cooperativity and enthalpy of the gel/liquid-crystalline phase transition. However, at all peptide concentrations, anionic DMPG bilayers are more strongly perturbed than zwitterionic DMPC bilayers, consistent with membrane surface charge being an important aspect of the interactions of these peptides with phospholipids. However, at all peptide concentrations, the perturbation of the thermotropic phase behavior of zwitterionic DMPE bilayers is weak and discernable only when samples are exposed to high temperatures. FTIR spectroscopy indicates that these peptides are unstructured in aqueous solution and that they fold into α-helices when incorporated into lipid membranes. All three peptides undergo rapid and extensive H-D exchange when incorporated into D₂O-hydrated phospholipid bilayers, suggesting that they are located in solvent-accessible environments, most probably in the polar/apolar interfacial regions of phospholipid bilayers. The perturbation of model lipid membranes by these peptides decreases in magnitude in the order maculatin 1.1 > aurein 1.2 > citropin 1.1, whereas the capacity to inhibit Acholeplasma laidlawii B growth decreases in the order maculatin 1.1 > aurein 1.2 ≅ citropin 1.1. The higher efficacy of maculatin 1.1 in disrupting model and biological membranes can be rationalized by its larger size and higher net charge. However, despite its smaller size and lower net charge, aurein 1.2 is more disruptive of model lipid membranes than citropin 1.1 and exhibits comparable antimicrobial activity, probably because aurein 1.2 has a higher propensity for partitioning into phospholipid membranes.     

Interaction study between maltose-modified PPI dendrimers and lipidic model membranes

The influence of maltose-modified poly(propylene imine) (PPI) dendrimers on dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) or dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine/dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol (DMPC/DMPG) (3%) liposomes was studied. Fourth generation (G4) PPI dendrimers with primary amino surface groups were partially (open shell glycodendrimers — OS) or completely (dense shell glycodendrimers — DS) modified with maltose residues. As a model membrane, two types of 100 nm diameter liposomes were used to observe differences in the interactions between neutral DMPC and negatively charged DMPC/DMPG bilayers. Interactions were studied using fluorescence spectroscopy to evaluate the membrane fluidity of both the hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts of the lipid bilayer and using differential scanning calorimetry to investigate thermodynamic parameter changes. Pulsed-filed gradient NMR experiments were carried out to evaluate common diffusion coefficient of DMPG and DS PPI in D₂O when using below critical micelle concentration of DMPG. Both OS and DS PPI G4 dendrimers show interactions with liposomes. Neutral DS dendrimers exhibit stronger changes in membrane fluidity compared to OS dendrimers. The bilayer structure seems more rigid in the case of anionic DMPC/DMPG liposomes in comparison to pure and neutral DMPC liposomes. Generally, interactions of dendrimers with anionic DMPC/DMPG and neutral DMPC liposomes were at the same level. Higher concentrations of positively charged OS dendrimers induced the aggregation process with negatively charged liposomes. For all types of experiments, the presence of NaCl decreased the strength of the interactions between glycodendrimers and liposomes. Based on NMR diffusion experiments we suggest that apart from electrostatic interactions for OS PPI hydrogen bonds play a major role in maltose-modified PPI dendrimer interactions with anionic and neutral model membranes where a contact surface is needed for undergoing multiple H-bond interactions between maltose shell of glycodendrimers and surface membrane of liposome.