title: Inhibition of membrane fusion by lysophosphatidylcholine.
abstract: The ability of lysophosphatidylcholine to inhibit membrane fusion at subsolubilizing concentrations (between 1 and 9 mol % with respect to the membrane lipids) was examined. Fusion between N-methyldioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) and fusion between Sendai virus and N-methyl-DOPE LUV were measured. A contents mixing fusion assay was used for LUV fusion (ANTS/DPX), and a lipid mixing assay (octadecylrhodamine B) was used for the virus fusion experiments. Lysophosphatidylcholine was effective at inhibiting both LUV fusion and Sendai virus/LUV fusion. Lysophosphatidylcholine also inhibited leakage from N-methyl-DOPE LUV, 31P nuclear magnetic resonance data were obtained of N-methyl-DOPE in the presence of lysophosphatidylcholine. Lysophosphatidylcholine stabilized the lamellar phase and reduced the incidence of nonlamellar structures at all temperatures. The destabilization of nonlamellar structures with a negative radius of curvature may be a mechanism for inhibition of fusion by lysophosphatidylcholine in these systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo 14214.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Yeagle
authors.forename: F T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Flanagan
mesh_terms: D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D008081:Liposomes; D008244:Lysophosphatidylcholines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008561:Membrane Fusion / Q000187:drug effects*; D010222:Parainfluenza Virus 1, Human / Q000502:physiology; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D008081:Liposomes; D008244:Lysophosphatidylcholines; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines; C065399:N-methyl-1,2-dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine