title: Interaction of the antimicrobial peptide gramicidin S with dimyristoyl--phosphatidylcholine bilayer membranes: a densitometry and sound velocimetry study.
abstract: We determined changes in the volume and adiabatic compressibility of large multi- and unilamellar vesicles composed of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine containing various concentrations of the antimicrobial peptide gramicidin S (GS) by applying densitometry and sound velocimetry. Gramicidin S incorporation was found to progressively decrease the phase transition temperature of DMPC vesicles as well as to decrease the degree of cooperativity of the main phase transition and to increase the volume compressibility of the vesicles. GS probably enhanced thermal fluctuations at the region of main phase transition and provide more freedom of rotational movement for the phospholipid hydrocarbon chains. The ability of GS to increase the membrane compressibility and to decrease the phase transition temperature is evidence for regions of distorted membrane structure around incorporated gramicidin S molecules. At relatively high GS concentration (10 mol%), more significant changes of specific volume and compressibility appear. This might suggest changes in the integrity of the lipid bilayer upon interaction with high concentrations of GS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics and Chemical Physics, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krivanek
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rybar
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Prenner
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: McElhaney
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hianik
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003720:Densitometry; D004134:Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine / Q000737:chemistry; D006096:Gramicidin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013696:Temperature; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014465:Ultrasonics
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D006096:Gramicidin; D004134:Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine