Reconstitution and electron paramagnetic resonance-spectroscopic characterization of glycophorin containing phospholipid vesicles

2H-NMR investigation of DMPC/glycophorin bilayers

Deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to investigate the phase equilibria, and the temperature and concentration dependences of the phospholipid hydrocarbon chain order, of mixtures of glycophorin in dimyristoylphosphatidyl-choline. In the fluid phase it is found that the protein has only a slight effect on the first moment of the 2H spectrum, which for perdeuterated chains is a direct measure of the average chain orientational order. However, analysis of the rate of change of the first moment with respect to protein concentration, at different temperatures within the fluid phase, shows that at a molar protein concentration of about 0.0295 +/- 0.01, the lipid chain order (or M1) is essentially independent of temperature. At this concentration the chain order is determined by the lipid's interaction with the protein and one can conclude that about 34 (+/- 12) lipids are required to solvate the protein. At higher lipid concentrations these lipids are freely exchanging, on the NMR time scale, with the other lipids in the bilayer. At glycophorin concentrations below about 1 mol% there is a two-phase coexistence region at temperatures below the pure lipid's chain melting transition. The boundary between the fluid phase and this two-phase region curves downwards (is concave downwards), whereas the boundary between the two-phase region and the gel phase, while naturally occurring at lower temperatures than the upper boundary, is concave upwards. As a consequence the protein partitions preferentially into the fluid phase. This behaviour is similar to that observed in a number of other protein/lipid and peptide/lipid mixtures where it was suggested that those systems may have been close to a critical mixing point and some characteristics of a continuous phase change were noted. Indeed, at glycophorin concentrations near and above 1 mol% there are indications that the phase behaviour becomes more complex, suggesting the presence of significant protein/protein interactions and that this system may be close to a critical point.

Translational diffusion measurements of a fluorescent phospholipid between MDCK-I cells support the lipid model of the tight junctions

The diffusion of a lipid fluorescent analogue across tight junctions in MDCK-I cells was studied by FRAP measurements. Cells were labelled with C6-NBD-PC at the apical cell membrane. Transepithelial resistance of MDCK-I cells was found to be higher than 3000 omega x cm2, which indicates the presence of a very tight epithelium. After bleaching of large areas, fluorescence recovery was detected by confocal laser scanning microscopy, and diffusion coefficients were calculated. The lipid probes were able to diffuse to neighbouring cells as long as tight junctions between cells were intact. The average diffusion coefficient of the lipid was determined to be 5 x 10(-9) +/- 3.5 x 10(-9) cm2/s (n = 12) at room temperature. In controls, where the tight junctions were opened by complexing Ca2+ ions with EDTA, no recovery was observed. Redistribution of C6-NBD-PC into the bleached apical membrane did not occur in experiments at temperatures below 10 degrees C. We conclude that the tight junction structure can be described by the lipid model, assuming the formation of an intermembranous hexagonal cylinder of lipids for the cell contact. In this model the exoplasmatic leaflets of the plasma membranes are continuous, thus allowing free diffusion of suitable lipids from one cell to another.

Glycophorin A interacts with interleukin-2 and inhibits interleukin-2-dependent T-lymphocyte proliferation

Sialoglycolipids shed by tumor cells have been implicated in tumor-induced inhibition of T-lymphocyte responses to interleukin-2 (IL-2). In the present study, we have used glycophorin A, the major sialoglycoprotein of the human erythrocyte membrane, to investigate whether shedding of glycoproteins might also contribute to immunosuppression. Glycophorin A inhibited IL-2-stimulated proliferation of the IL-2-dependent cell lines HT-2 and CTLL-2 in a dose-dependent manner. Time course studies on synchronized cell populations indicated that the glycoprotein acted early in the activation process. On the other hand, glycophorin A had essentially no effect on IL-1-mediated stimulation of the IL-1-sensitive thymocyte cell line EL-4 NOB-1. Gel filtration FPLC demonstrated that IL-2 was able to bind to glycophorin aggregates under physiological conditions. Reconstituted vesicles containing glycophorin were also shown to bind IL-2. In addition, both soluble glycophorin aggregates and lipid vesicles containing glycophorin blocked binding of IL-2 to high-affinity cellular IL-2 receptors. Taken together, these results suggest that shedding of tumor sialoglycoproteins with oligosaccharide chains similar to glycophorin A might contribute to negative modulation of IL-2-mediated immune responses.

Synergistic effects of Ca2+ and wheat germ agglutinin on the lamellar-hexagonal (HII) phase transition of glycophorin-containing egg-phosphatidylethanolamine membranes

Glycophorin has been reconstituted into egg phosphatidylethanolamine (egg-PtdEtn) membranes. Stable vesicles were obtained at a molar ratio of 8 x 10(-4) of inserted protein/lipid. This macroscopic change from lipid aggregates to lipid vesicles was followed by density gradient centrifugation. Vesicles formed in the presence of protein enclose the dye calcein and are stable with time and temperature. Membrane aggregation does not occur, as was demonstrated by energy-transfer experiments. The phase transition from the fluid lamellar L alpha phase to the inverted hexagonal HII phase observed at 29 degrees C in pure egg-PtdEtn membranes is suppressed and finally disappears in the presence of glycophorin. The transition enthalpy decreases linearly from delta H = 4 kJ/mol in pure lipids to zero at a protein/lipid molar ratio of 1:1000. Ca2+ ions and wheat germ lectin act synergistically on the phase behavior of vesicles containing glycophorin and phosphatidylethanolamine. Differential scanning calorimetry scans show that the lamellar-to-hexagonal phase transition is reinduced. The membranes aggregate and exchange lipid as could be demonstrated by energy transfer experiments. The dye calcein is released but only if the temperature exceeds the lamellar-to-hexagonal phase transition temperature of the pure egg-PtdEtn.

Interaction of phospholipids with proteins, peptides and amino acids. New advances 1987-1989

1. The review deals with the recent achievements in the study of the various interactions of phospholipids with proteins, peptides and amino acids. The interactions are classified according to the hydrophobic, hydrophilic or mixed character of the interactive forces. The effect of the interaction on the structure and biological activity of the interacting biomolecules is discussed.