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

Journal Article · Tue Mar 07 04:00:00 EST 1989 · Biochemistry; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/bi00431a050· OSTI ID:5517135

Roux, M; Neumann, J M; Hodges, R S; Devaux, P F; Bloom, M ^[1]

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1. CEN-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette (France)

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. 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.

• OSTI ID: 5517135
• Journal Information: Biochemistry; (USA), Journal Name: Biochemistry; (USA) Vol. 28:5; ISSN 0006-2960; ISSN BICHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550201* -- Biochemistry-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AMINO ACID SEQUENCE
AMINO ACIDS
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CATIONS
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CELL MEMBRANES
CHARGED PARTICLES
DEUTERIUM
ESTERS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
IONS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
KINETICS
LIGHT NUCLEI
LIPIDS
LIPOSOMES
LYSINE
MAGNETIC RESONANCE
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MEMBRANES
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES
NMR SPECTRA
NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
ORGANOIDS
PEPTIDES
PHOSPHOLIPIDS
PROTEINS
REACTION KINETICS
RESONANCE
SPECTRA
STABLE ISOTOPES
TRACER TECHNIQUES