Softening of POPC membranes by magainin.
Magainin 2 belongs to the family of peptides, which interacts with the lipid membranes. The present work deals with the effect of this peptide on the mechanical properties of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphocholine Giant Unilamellar Vesicle, characterized by the bending stiffness modulus. The bending elastic modulus is measured by Vesicle Fluctuation Analysis at biologically relevant pH and physiological buffer conditions and shows a dramatic decrease with increasing peptide concentration. The observed bilayer softening is interpreted in terms of a continuum model describing perturbations on the membrane organization. Our analysis suggests that the adsorbed peptides give rise to considerable local curvature disruptions of the membrane.
Bouvrais
Hélène
H
Department of Physics and Chemistry, MEMPHYS-Center for Biomembrane Physics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Méléard
Philippe
P
Pott
Tanja
T
Jensen
Knud J
KJ
Brask
Jesper
J
Ipsen
John H
JH
D054806:Magainins / Q000737:chemistry*; D008566:Membranes / Q000737:chemistry*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000737:chemistry*
D054806:Magainins; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D010455:Peptides; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; C028694:1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine