Biomaterial Database

Kinetics of melittin binding to phospholipid small unilamellar vesicles. 1991

K M Sekharam, and T D Bradrick, and S Georghiou

Department of Physics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37996-1200.

We have used the decrease in the fluorescence intensity of the single tryptophan residue of bee venom melittin at long emission wavelengths that accompanies binding of the peptide to phospholipid small unilamellar vesicles to determine the rate of binding through the use of stopped-flow fluorometry in the millisecond range. We have found the rate to depend on the degree of saturation of the lipid acyl chains as well as on the physical state of the bilayer, the net electric charge of the polar headgroups, and the lipid-to-melittin molar ratio R. For zwitterionic lipids (i) the binding process is found to exhibit negative cooperativity, and (ii) the rate-limiting step appears to be penetration of the protein into the hydrophobic region of the bilayer. For negatively charged lipids the results show that binding is a very fast process that seems to be electrostatic in nature.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007700	Kinetics	The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D008555	Melitten	Basic polypeptide from the venom of the honey bee (Apis mellifera). It contains 26 amino acids, has cytolytic properties, causes contracture of muscle, releases histamine, and disrupts surface tension, probably due to lysis of cell and mitochondrial membranes.	Melittin,Mellitin
D011485	Protein Binding	The process in which substances, either endogenous or exogenous, bind to proteins, peptides, enzymes, protein precursors, or allied compounds. Specific protein-binding measures are often used as assays in diagnostic assessments.	Plasma Protein Binding Capacity,Binding, Protein
D004134	Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine	A synthetic phospholipid used in liposomes and lipid bilayers for the study of biological membranes.	Dimyristoyllecithin,1,2-Dimyristoyl-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine,1,2-Ditetradecanoyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine,1,2-Ditetradecyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine,DMCP,DMPC,1,2 Dimyristoyl glycero 3 phosphorylcholine,1,2 Ditetradecanoyl glycero 3 phosphocholine,1,2 Ditetradecyl glycero 3 phosphocholine
D013329	Structure-Activity Relationship	The relationship between the chemical structure of a compound and its biological or pharmacological activity. Compounds are often classed together because they have structural characteristics in common including shape, size, stereochemical arrangement, and distribution of functional groups.	Relationship, Structure-Activity,Relationships, Structure-Activity,Structure Activity Relationship,Structure-Activity Relationships
D013696	Temperature	The property of objects that determines the direction of heat flow when they are placed in direct thermal contact. The temperature is the energy of microscopic motions (vibrational and translational) of the particles of atoms.	Temperatures
D013816	Thermodynamics	A rigorously mathematical analysis of energy relationships (heat, work, temperature, and equilibrium). It describes systems whose states are determined by thermal parameters, such as temperature, in addition to mechanical and electromagnetic parameters. (From Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, 12th ed)	Thermodynamic
D066298	In Vitro Techniques	Methods to study reactions or processes taking place in an artificial environment outside the living organism.	In Vitro Test,In Vitro Testing,In Vitro Tests,In Vitro as Topic,In Vitro,In Vitro Technique,In Vitro Testings,Technique, In Vitro,Techniques, In Vitro,Test, In Vitro,Testing, In Vitro,Testings, In Vitro,Tests, In Vitro,Vitro Testing, In