title: Buried lysine, but not arginine, titrates and alters transmembrane helix tilt.
abstract: The ionization states of individual amino acid residues of membrane proteins are difficult to decipher or assign directly in the lipid-bilayer membrane environment. We address this issue for lysines and arginines in designed transmembrane helices. For lysines (but not arginines) at two locations within dioleoyl-phosphatidylcholine bilayer membranes, we measure pK(a) values below 7.0. We find that buried charged lysine, in fashion similar to arginine, will modulate helix orientation to maximize its own access to the aqueous interface or, if occluded by aromatic rings, may cause a transmembrane helix to exit the lipid bilayer. Interestingly, the influence of neutral lysine (vis-à-vis leucine) upon helix orientation also depends upon its aqueous access. Our results suggest that changes in the ionization states of particular residues will regulate membrane protein function and furthermore illustrate the subtle complexity of ionization behavior with respect to the detailed lipid and protein environment.
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
authors: Nicholas J
authors: NJ
authors: Gleason
authors: Vitaly V
authors: VV
authors: Vostrikov
authors: Denise V
authors: DV
authors: Greathouse
authors: Roger E
authors: RE
authors: Koeppe
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001120:Arginine / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry; D008239:Lysine / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017186:Titrimetry; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009842:Oligopeptides; D014867:Water; D001120:Arginine; D008239:Lysine