Effects of the antibiotic peptide microcin J25 on liposomes: role of acyl chain length and negatively charged phospholipid

This paper reports the effects of microcin J25 (MccJ25) on the microviscosity and permeability of phospholipid vesicles of different compositions. The results obtained indicate that MccJ25 interacts with egg L-alpha -phosphatidylcholine (PC) vesicles as demonstrated by peptide intrinsic fluorescence determinations. The interaction depends on the lipid composition of the vesicles. MccJ25 interaction induces a significant fluidity increase of egg PC vesicles. This effect is time and concentration dependent. Both trimethyl ammonium 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene and 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene gave the same results. The microviscosity of L-a-phosphatidylcholine dipalmitoyl small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) was affected while that of L-alpha -phosphatidylcholine dimyristoyl vesicles was not, indicating that the effect was strongly dependent on the chain length of fatty acids. On the other hand, negatively charged L-alpha -phosphatidyl-DL-glycerol (PC) vesicles remarkably inhibited the peptide effect. Nevertheless vesicles composed of L-alpha -phosphatidylethanolamine :PG:cardiolipin (7:2:1), a composition resembling bacterial membrane, were sensitive to the MccJ25 effect. MccJ25 effectively dissipated the valinomycin-induced membrane potential, but induced only a modest leakage (5%) of the trapped Tb+3-dipicolinic acid complex. These results indicate that the peptides interact and perturb the bilayer of SUVs. The relationships between this effect and bactericidal action remain to be elucidated. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.