Orientation and dynamics of melittin in membranes of varying composition utilizing NBD fluorescence

63Citations
Citations of this article
63Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

This article is free to access.

Abstract

Melittin is a cationic hemolytic peptide isolated from the European honey bee, Apis mellifera. The organization of membrane-bound melittin has earlier been shown to be dependent on the physical state and composition of membranes. In this study, we covalently labeled the N-terminal (Gly-1) and Lys-7 of melittin with an environment-sensitive fluorescent probe, the NBD group, to monitor the influence of negatively charged lipids and cholesterol on the organization and dynamics of membrane-bound melittin. Our results show that the NBD group of melittin labeled at its N-terminal end does not exhibit red edge excitation shift in DOPC and DOPC/DOPG membranes, whereas the NBD group of melittin labeled at Lys-7 exhibits REES of ∼8 nm. This could be attributed to difference in membrane microenvironment experienced by the NBD groups in these analogs. Interestingly, the membrane environment of the NBD groups is sensitive to the presence of cholesterol, which is supported by time-resolved fluorescence measurements. Importantly, the orientation of melittin is found to be parallel to the membrane surface as determined by membrane penetration depth analysis using the parallax method in all cases. Our results constitute the first report to our knowledge describing the orientation of melittin in cholesterol-containing membranes. These results assume significance in the overall context of the role of membrane lipids in the orientation and function of membrane proteins and peptides. © 2007 by the Biophysical Society.

References Powered by Scopus

Small-volume extrusion apparatus for preparation of large, unilamellar vesicles

1438Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Bee and wasp venoms

1388Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Cholesterol and the cell membrane

1307Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Cited by Powered by Scopus

Molecularly targeted nanocarriers deliver the cytolytic peptide melittin specifically to tumor cells in mice, reducing tumor growth

265Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

The nociceptive and anti-nociceptive effects of bee venom injection and therapy: A double-edged sword

156Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Toxicity of bovicin HC5 against mammalian cell lines and the role of cholesterol in bacteriocin activity

115Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Raghuraman, H., & Chattopadhyay, A. (2007). Orientation and dynamics of melittin in membranes of varying composition utilizing NBD fluorescence. Biophysical Journal, 92(4), 1271–1283. https://doi.org/10.1529/biophysj.106.088690

Readers' Seniority

Tooltip

PhD / Post grad / Masters / Doc 22

58%

Researcher 9

24%

Professor / Associate Prof. 7

18%

Readers' Discipline

Tooltip

Chemistry 12

35%

Agricultural and Biological Sciences 11

32%

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Bi... 9

26%

Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceut... 2

6%

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free