title: Membrane activities of colicin nuclease domains: analogies with antimicrobial peptides.
abstract: Nuclease colicins, such as colicin E9, are a class of Escherichia coli bacteriocins that kill E. coli and closely related Gram-negative bacteria through nucleolytic action in the cytoplasm. In order to accomplish this, their cytotoxic domains require transportation across two sets of membranes and the periplasmic space. Currently, little information is available concerning how the membrane translocation processes are achieved, and the present review summarizes our recent results on the in vitro membrane activities of the colicin nuclease domains. Using model membranes, we have analysed the cytotoxic domains of a number of DNase-type colicins and one rRNase colicin for their bilayer insertion depth and for their ability to induce vesicle aggregation, lipid mixing and increased bilayer permeability. We found that, by analogy with AMPs (antimicrobial peptides), the interplay between charge and hydrophobic character of the nuclease domains governs their pleiotropic membrane activities and these results form the basis of ongoing work to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying their membrane translocation.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK. mireille.vankemmelbeke@nottingham.ac.uk
authors.forename: Mireille
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vankemmelbeke
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: Christopher N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Penfold
mesh_terms: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology*; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D003087:Colicins / Q000737:chemistry*; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000737:chemistry*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology*; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry; D053835:Unilamellar Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D003087:Colicins; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D053835:Unilamellar Liposomes; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases