Fusion of small unilamellar vesicles induced by a serum albumin fragment of molecular weight 9000.
A peptide (P-9) comprising amino acids 307 to 385 of bovine serum albumin induced the fusion of small unilamellar vesicles of phosphatidylcholine at low pH. Upon acidification P-9 exhibited a ultraviolet differential spectrum characteristic of hydrophilic exposure of chromophores. This conformational change, and the structure of P-9 composed of three amphiphilic helixes , suggested a general working hypothesis for the description of protein-induced membrane fusion.
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D007700:Kinetics; D008081:Liposomes; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010434:Pepsin A; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism*; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000378:metabolism*; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
D008081:Liposomes; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D010434:Pepsin A