Retinal rod outer segment lipids form bilayers in the presence and absence of rhodopsin: a 31P NMR study

UV-visible and infrared methods for investigating lipid-rhodopsin membrane interactions

We describe experimental UV-visible and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic methods for characterizing lipid-protein interactions for rhodopsin in a membrane bilayer environment. The combination of FTIR and UV-visible difference spectroscopy is used to monitor the structural and functional changes during rhodopsin activation. Investigations of how membrane lipids stabilize various rhodopsin photoproducts are analogous to mutating the protein in terms of gain or loss of function. Interpretation of the results entails a flexible surface model for explaining membrane lipid-protein interactions through material properties relevant to biological activity.

Curvature forces in membrane lipid-protein interactions

Membrane biochemists are becoming increasingly aware of the role of lipid-protein interactions in diverse cellular functions. This review describes how conformational changes in membrane proteins, involving folding, stability, and membrane shape transitions, potentially involve elastic remodeling of the lipid bilayer. Evidence suggests that membrane lipids affect proteins through interactions of a relatively long-range nature, extending beyond a single annulus of next-neighbor boundary lipids. It is assumed the distance scale of the forces is large compared to the molecular range of action. Application of the theory of elasticity to flexible soft surfaces derives from classical physics and explains the polymorphism of both detergents and membrane phospholipids. A flexible surface model (FSM) describes the balance of curvature and hydrophobic forces in lipid-protein interactions. Chemically nonspecific properties of the lipid bilayer modulate the conformational energetics of membrane proteins. The new biomembrane model challenges the standard model (the fluid mosaic model) found in biochemistry texts. The idea of a curvature force field based on data first introduced for rhodopsin gives a bridge between theory and experiment. Influences of bilayer thickness, nonlamellar-forming lipids, detergents, and osmotic stress are all explained by the FSM. An increased awareness of curvature forces suggests that research will accelerate as structural biology becomes more closely entwined with the physical chemistry of lipids in explaining membrane structure and function.

An NMR database for simulations of membrane dynamics

Computational methods are powerful in capturing the results of experimental studies in terms of force fields that both explain and predict biological structures. Validation of molecular simulations requires comparison with experimental data to test and confirm computational predictions. Here we report a comprehensive database of NMR results for membrane phospholipids with interpretations intended to be accessible by non-NMR specialists. Experimental ¹³C-¹H and ²H NMR segmental order parameters (S(CH) or S(CD)) and spin-lattice (Zeeman) relaxation times (T(1Z)) are summarized in convenient tabular form for various saturated, unsaturated, and biological membrane phospholipids. Segmental order parameters give direct information about bilayer structural properties, including the area per lipid and volumetric hydrocarbon thickness. In addition, relaxation rates provide complementary information about molecular dynamics. Particular attention is paid to the magnetic field dependence (frequency dispersion) of the NMR relaxation rates in terms of various simplified power laws. Model-free reduction of the T(1Z) studies in terms of a power-law formalism shows that the relaxation rates for saturated phosphatidylcholines follow a single frequency-dispersive trend within the MHz regime. We show how analytical models can guide the continued development of atomistic and coarse-grained force fields. Our interpretation suggests that lipid diffusion and collective order fluctuations are implicitly governed by the viscoelastic nature of the liquid-crystalline ensemble. Collective bilayer excitations are emergent over mesoscopic length scales that fall between the molecular and bilayer dimensions, and are important for lipid organization and lipid-protein interactions. Future conceptual advances and theoretical reductions will foster understanding of biomembrane structural dynamics through a synergy of NMR measurements and molecular simulations.

Contribution of omega-3 fatty acids to the thermodynamics of membrane protein solvation

Recent NMR experiments and molecular dynamics simulations have indicated that rhodopsin is preferentially solvated by omega-3 fatty acids compared to saturated chains. However, to date no physical theory has been advanced to explain this phenomenon. The present work presents a novel thermodynamic explanation for this preferential solvation based on statistical analysis of 26,100 ns all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of rhodopsin in membranes rich in polyunsaturated chains. The results indicate that the preferential solvation by omega-3 chains is entropically driven; all chains experience an entropic penalty when associating with the protein, but the penalty is significantly larger for saturated chains.

Membrane model for the G-protein-coupled receptor rhodopsin: hydrophobic interface and dynamical structure

Rhodopsin is the only member of the pharmacologically important superfamily of G-protein-coupled receptors with a known structure at atomic resolution. A molecular dynamics model of rhodopsin in a POPC phospholipid bilayer was simulated for 15 ns, revealing a conformation significantly different from the recent crystal structures. The structure of the bilayer compared with a protein-free POPC control indicated hydrophobic matching with the nonpolar interface of the receptor, in agreement with deuterium NMR experiments. A new generalized molecular surface method, based on a three-dimensional Voronoi cell construction for atoms with different radii, was developed to quantify cross-sectional area profiles for the protein, lipid acyl chains and headgroups, and water. Thus, it was possible to investigate the bilayer deformation due to curvature of the individual lipid monolayers. Moreover, the generalized molecular surface derived hydrophobic interface allowed benchmarking of the hydropathy sequence analysis, an important structural genomics tool. Five water molecules diffused into internal hydration sites during the simulation, yielding a total of 12 internal waters. The cytoplasmic loops and the C-terminal tail, containing the G-protein recognition and protein sorting sequences, exhibited a high mobility, in marked contrast to the extracellular and transmembrane domains. The proposed functional coupling of the highly conserved ERY motif to the lipid-water interface via the cytoplasmic loops provides insight into lipid effects on G-protein-coupled receptor activation in terms of a flexible surface model, involving the spontaneous monolayer curvature.

Conformational energetics of rhodopsin modulated by nonlamellar-forming lipids

Rhodopsin is an important example of a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) in which 11-cis-retinal is the ligand and acts as an inverse agonist. Photolysis of rhodopsin leads to formation of the activated meta II state from its precursor meta I. Various mechanisms have been proposed to explain how the membrane composition affects the meta I-meta II conformational equilibrium in the visual process. For rod disk membranes and recombinant membranes containing rhodopsin, the lipid properties have been discussed in terms of elastic deformation of the bilayer. Here we have investigated the relation of nonlamellar-forming lipids, such as dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE), together with dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC), to the photochemistry of membrane-bound rhodopsin. We conducted flash photolysis experiments for bovine rhodopsin recombined with DOPE/DOPC mixtures (0:100 to 75:25) as a function of pH to explore the dependence of the photochemical activity on the monolayer curvature free energy of the membrane. It is well-known that DOPC forms bilayers, whereas DOPE has a propensity to adopt the nonlamellar, reverse hexagonal (H(II)) phase. In the case of neutral DOPE/DOPC recombinants, calculations of the membrane surface pH confirmed that an increase in DOPE favored the meta II state. Moreover, doubling the PE headgroup content versus the native rod membranes substituted for the polyunsaturated, docosahexaenoic acyl chains (22:6 omega 3), suggesting rhodopsin function is associated with a balance of forces within the bilayer. The data are interpreted by applying a flexible surface model, in which the meta II state is stabilized by lipids tending to form the H(II) phase, with a negative spontaneous curvature. A simple theory, based on principles of surface chemistry, for coupling the energetics of membrane proteins to material properties of the bilayer lipids is described. For rhodopsin, the free energy balance of the receptor and the lipids is altered by photoisomerization of retinal and involves curvature stress/strain of the membrane (frustration). A new biophysical principle is introduced: matching of the spontaneous curvature of the lipid bilayer to the mean curvature of the lipid/water interface adjacent to the protein, which balances the lipid/protein solvation energy. In this manner, the thermodynamic driving force for the meta I-meta II conformational change of rhodopsin is tightly controlled by mixtures of nonlamellar-forming lipids having distinctive material properties.

Macroscopic orientation of natural and model membranes for structural studies

One approach for obtaining high-resolution structural and functional information for biomembranes and their proteins is by static solid-state NMR of oriented systems. Here, a general procedure to align fully functional biological membranes containing large membrane proteins (Mr >30,000) is described. The method, based on the isopotential spin-dry ultracentrifugation technique, relies on the centrifugation of membrane fragments onto a support with simultaneous, or subsequent, partial evaporation of the solvent which aids alignment. The quality of orientation, as shown by the mosaic spread of the samples, was monitored by static solid-state 31P NMR for the phospholipids and by 2H NMR for a deuterated retinal in bovine rhodopsin. The generality of this method is demonstrated with three different membranes containing bovine rhodopsin in reconstituted bilayers, natural membranes with the red cell anion exchange transport protein in erythrocytes, band 3, and the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

Surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy studies of membrane proteins: transducin binding and activation by rhodopsin monitored in thin membrane films

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy can provide useful information regarding average structural properties of membrane films supported on planar solid substrates. Here we have used SPR spectroscopy for the first time to monitor the binding and activation of G-protein (transducin or Gt) by bovine rhodopsin incorporated into an egg phosphatidylcholine bilayer deposited on a silver film. Rhodopsin incorporation into the membrane, performed by dilution of a detergent solution of the protein, proceeds in a saturable manner. Before photolysis, the SPR data show that Gt binds tightly (Keq approximately equal to 60 nM) and with positive cooperativity to rhodopsin in the lipid layer to form a closely packed film. A simple multilayer model yields a calculated average thickness of about 57 A, in good agreement with the structure of Gt. The data also demonstrate that Gt binding saturates at a Gt/rhodopsin ratio of approximately 0.6. Moreover, upon visible light irradiation, characteristic changes occur in the SPR spectrum, which can be modeled by a 6 A increase in the average thickness of the lipid/protein film caused by formation of metarhodopsin II (MII). Upon subsequent addition of GTP, further SPR spectral changes are induced. These are interpreted as resulting from dissociation of the alpha-subunit of Gt, formation of new MII-Gt complexes, and possible conformational changes of Gt as a consequence of complex formation. The above results clearly demonstrate the ability of SPR spectroscopy to monitor interactions among the proteins associated with signal transduction in membrane-bound systems.

Modulation of rhodopsin function by properties of the membrane bilayer

A prevalent model for the function of rhodopsin centers on the metarhodopsin I (MI) to metarhodopsin II (MII) conformational transition as the triggering event for the visual process. Flash photolysis techniques enable one to determine the [MII]/[MI] ratio for rhodopsin in various recombinant membranes, and thus investigate the roles of the phospholipid head groups and the lipid acyl chains systematically. The results obtained to date clearly show that the pK for the acid-base MI-MII equilibrium of rhodopsin is modulated by the lipid environment. In bilayers of phosphatidylcholines the MI-MII equilibrium is shifted to the left; whereas in the native rod outer segment membranes it is shifted to the right, i.e., at neutral pH near physiological temperature. The lipid mixtures sufficient to yield full photochemical function of rhodopsin include a native-like head group composition, viz, comprising phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and phosphatidylserine (PS), in combination with polyunsaturated docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6 omega 3) chains. Yet such a native-like lipid mixture is not necessary for the MI-MII conformational transition of rhodopsin; one can substitute other lipid compositions having similar properties. The MI-MII transition is favored by relatively small head groups which produce a condensed bilayer surface, viz, a comparatively small interfacial area as in the case of PE, together with bulky acyl chains such as DHA which prefer a relatively large cross sectional area. The resulting force imbalance across the layer gives rise to a curvature elastic stress of the lipid/water interface, such that the lipid mixtures yielding native-like behavior form reverse hexagonal (HII) phases at slightly higher temperatures. A relatively unstable membrane is needed: lipids tending to form the lamellar phase do not support full native-like photochemical function of rhodopsin. Thus chemically specific properties of the various lipids are not required, but rather average or material properties of the entire assembly, which may involve the curvature free energy of the membrane-lipid water interface. These findings reveal that the membrane lipid bilayer has a direct influence on the energetics of the conformational states of rhodopsin in visual excitation.

Lipid headgroup and acyl chain composition modulate the MI-MII equilibrium of rhodopsin in recombinant membranes

A current paradigm for visual function centers on the metarhodopsin I (MI) to metarhodopsin II (MII) conformational transition as the trigger for an intracellular enzyme cascade leading to excitation of the retinal rod. We investigated the influences of the membrane lipid composition on this key triggering event in visual signal transduction using flash photolysis techniques. Bovine rhodopsin was combined with various phospholipids to form membrane recombinants in which the lipid acyl chain composition was held constant at that of egg phosphatidylcholine (PC), while the identity of the lipid headgroups was varied. The ratio of MII/MI produced in these recombinants by an actinic flash at 28 degrees C was studied as a function of pH. The results were compared to the photochemical function observed for rhodopsin in native retinal rod outer segment (ROS) membranes, in total native ROS lipid recombinants, and in dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) recombinants. In membrane recombinants incorporating lipids derived from egg PC, as well as in the total ROS lipids control and the native ROS disk membranes, MI and MII were found to coexist in a pH-dependent, acid-base equilibrium on the millisecond time scale. The recombinants of rhodopsin with egg PC, either alone or in combination with egg PC-derived phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) or phosphatidylserine (PS), exhibited substantially reduced photochemical activity at pH 7.0. However, all recombinants comprising phospholipids with unsaturated acyl chains were capable of full native-like MII production at pH 5.0, confirming previous results [Gibson, N.J.. & Brown, M.F. (1990) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 169, 1028-1034]. It follows that energetic constraints on the MI and MII states imposed by egg PC-derived acyl chains can be offset by increased activity of H+ ions. The data reveal that the major effect of the membrane lipid composition is to alter the apparent pK for the MI-MII conformational equilibrium of rhodopsin [Gibson, N.J., & Brown, M.F. (1991) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 176, 915-921]. Recombinants containing only phosphocholine headgroups exhibited the lowest apparent pK values, whereas the presence of either 50 mol % PE or 15 mol % PS increased the apparent pK. The inability to obtain full native-like function in recombinants having egg PC-derived chains and a native-like headgroup composition indicates a significant role of the polyunsaturated docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) chains (22:6 omega 3) of the native retinal rod membrane lipids. Temperature studies of the MI-MII transition enabled an investigation of lipid influences on the thermodynamic parameters of a membrane protein conformational change linked directly to function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

A 31P-NMR spin-lattice relaxation and 31P[1H] nuclear Overhauser effect study of sonicated small unilamellar phosphatidylcholine vesicles

The motional properties of the inner and outer monolayer headgroups of egg phosphatidylcholine (PC) small unilamellar vesicles (SUV) were investigated by 31P-NMR temperature-dependent spin-lattice relaxation time constant (T1) and 31P[1H] nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) analyses. Three different aspects of the dynamics of PC headgroups were investigated using the T1 analysis. First, differences in the dynamics of the headgroup region of both surfaces of the SUV were measured after application of a chemical shift reagent, PrCl3, to either the extra- or intravesicular volumes. Second, the ability of the T1 experiment to resolve the different motional states was evaluated in the absence of shift reagent. Third, comparison between correlation times obtained from a resonance frequency dependent 31P[1H] NOE analysis allowed a determination of the applicability of a simplified motional model to describe phosphorus dipolar relaxation. Temperature-dependent 31P-NMR T1 values obtained for the individual monolayers at 81.0 and 162.0 MHz were modelled assuming that phosphorus undergoes both a dipolar and an anisotropic chemical shielding relaxation mechanism, each being described by the same correlation time, tau. At 162.0 MHz, the position of the T1 minimum for the inner monolayer was 9 degrees higher than that of the outer region, indicating a higher level of motional restriction for the inner leaflet, in agreement with 31P[1H] NOE measurements. The 162.0 MHz T1 profile of the combined SUV monolayers exhibited a smooth minimum located at the midpoint of the monolayer minima positions, effectively masking the presence of the individual surfaces. 31P[1H] NOE results obtained at 32.3, 81.0 and 162.0 MHz did not agree with those predicted from a simple dipolar relaxation model. These results suggest a T1-temperature method can neither discriminate two or more closely related motional time scales in a heterogeneous environment (such as incorporation of protein into lipid bilayers) nor allow accurate determination of the correlation time at the position of the minimum when the dipolar relaxation rate makes a significant contribution to the overall rate.

Membrane lipid influences on the energetics of the metarhodopsin I and metarhodopsin II conformational states of rhodopsin probed by flash photolysis

We have investigated the relationship between rhodopsin photochemical function and the retinal rod outer segment (ROS) disk membrane lipid composition using flash photolysis techniques. Bovine rhodopsin was combined with various phospholipids to form recombinant membrane vesicles, in which the lipid acyl chain composition was maintained at that of egg phosphatidylcholine (PC), while the nature of the headgroups was varied. The ratio of metarhodopsin II (MII)/metarhodopsin I (MI) in these recombinants produced by an actinic flash was investigated as a function of pH, and compared with the photochemical activity observed for rhodopsin in native ROS membranes and dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine recombinants. In recombinants made with lipids derived from egg PC, as well as in native ROS membranes, MI and MII were found to be present in a pH-dependent, acid-base equilibrium on the millisecond timescale. The recombinants made with phospholipids containing unsaturated acyl chains were capable of full native-like MII production, but each demonstrated a titration curve with a different pK. In addition, some of the recombinants exhibited apparent deviations from the Henderson-Hasselbalch curve shape. The presence of either phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) or phosphatidylserine (PS) headgroups appeared to increase the amount of MII produced. This may result from alteration of the curvature free energy, in the case of PE, and from the influence of the membrane surface potential in the case of PS. An investigation of the effects of temperature on the MI-MII transition in native ROS membranes and the recombinants was also carried out.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Role of phosphatidylserine in the MI-MII equilibrium of rhodopsin

Bovine rhodopsin was recombined with various phospholipids in which the lipid acyl chain composition was held constant at that of egg phosphatidylcholine (PC), while the identity of the headgroups was varied. The ratio of MII/MI produced in the recombinant membrane vesicles by an actinic flash was studied as a function of pH, and compared to the photochemical activity observed for rhodopsin in native ROS membranes. MI and MII were found to coexist in a pH-dependent, acid-base equilibrium on the millisecond timescale. Recombinants made with phospholipids containing unsaturated acyl chains were capable of full native-like MII production, but demonstrated titration curves with different pK values. The presence of phosphoethanolamine or phosphoserine headgroups increased the amount of MII produced. In the case of phosphatidylserine this may result from alteration of the membrane surface potential, leading to an increase in the local H+ activity. The results indicate that the Gibbs free energies of the MI and MII conformational states are influenced by the membrane bilayer environment, suggesting a possible role of lipids in visual excitation.

Influences of membrane curvature in lipid hexagonal phases studied by deuterium NMR spectroscopy

The presence of reversed hexagonal phase, HII, favoring lipids in membranes has been proposed to be significant in various biological processes. Therefore an understanding of the HII phase and the transition from the lamellar to hexagonal phase is of importance. We have applied deuterium NMR spectroscopy to study the bilayer and reversed hexagonal phases of 1-perdeuteriopalmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamin e. The difference in packing between the HII and L alpha phases leads to smaller segmental order parameters in the former case. Since the order profiles are sensitive to the geometry of the aggregates, they can be used to extract structural information about the phases. We present a new means of calculating the radius of curvature, R1, for the HII phase from 2H NMR data. This method gives a value of R1 = 18.1 A, which is in agreement with current understanding of the structure of the HII phase and with x-ray diffraction data.

Influence of pH on the MI-MII equilibrium of rhodopsin in recombinant membranes

Rhodopsin in native rod membranes and incorporated into egg phosphatidylcholine (egg PC) vesicles was studied at pH 5 and 7 at 28 degrees C. Rhodopsin function, as monitored by the formation of metarhodopsin II (MII) from metarhodopsin I (MI) following an actinic flash, was found to be largely blocked in egg PC vesicles at pH 7. When the pH was lowered to 5, however, rhodopsin showed essentially equal activity in both native and egg PC membranes. This activity exceeded that found for rhodopsin in native membranes at pH 7. Phospholipid composition is thus shown to directly affect the MI in equilibrium MII equilibrium, which in turn is linked to visual function.

Lipid-protein interactions mediate the photochemical function of rhodopsin

We have investigated the molecular features of recombinant membranes that are necessary for the photochemical function of rhodopsin. The magnitude of the metarhodopsin I to metarhodopsin II phototransient following a 25% +/- 3% bleaching flash was used as a criterion of photochemical activity at 28 degrees C and pH 7.0. Nativelike activity of rhodopsin can be reconstituted with an extract of total lipids from rod outer segment membranes, demonstrating that the protein is minimally perturbed by the reconstitution protocol. Rhodopsin photochemical activity is enhanced by phosphatidylethanolamine head groups and docosahexaenoyl (22:6 omega 3) acyl chains. An equimolar mixture of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine containing 50 mol% docosahexaenoyl chains results in optimal photochemical function. These results suggest the importance of both the head-group and acyl chain composition of the rod outer segment lipids in the visual process. The extracted rod lipids and those lipid mixtures favoring the conformational change from metarhodopsin I to II can undergo lamellar (L alpha) to inverted hexagonal (HII) phase transitions near physiological temperature. Interaction of rhodopsin with membrane lipids close to a L alpha to HII (or cubic) phase boundary may thus lead to properties which influence the energetics of conformational states of the protein linked to visual function.

31P-NMR investigation of magnetically oriented rod outer segments. Spectral analysis and identification of individual phospholipids

A 31P-NMR study of magnetically oriented bovine rod outer segments is presented. We demonstrate that carefully isolated bovine rod outer segments retain the capacity to orient in a magnetic field. Maximal orientation (85-90%) is achieved at field strengths over 4.7 T in the NMR spectrometer. The lineshape of the 'oriented spectra' is totally different from the 'bilayer lineshape' of randomly oriented photoreceptor membranes. The oriented spectra consist of two phospholipid peaks, a major low-field peak (75-80% of the total intensity) near 30 ppm, and a minor high-field peak near - 14 ppm as well as two sharp metabolite peaks around 0 ppm. The phospholipid peaks are a composite of three narrower partially resolved resonances assigned to the individual phospholipid classes phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. Based on the morphology and magnetic anisotropy of the rod outer segment, the major phospholipid peak is attributed to the flat part of the disk membranes while the phospholipids of the plasma membrane are thought to contribute only to the minor peak. Disk rim phospholipids and non-oriented material contribute to the minor peak and, in addition, contribute some intensity to the middle part of the spectrum. The phospholipid class composition of the major peak is estimated by spectral simulation and is consistent with the phospholipid class composition of rod outer segment membranes. Hence, 31P analysis of oriented rod outer segments resolves the main phospholipids in at least two different membrane pools in the rod outer segment and allows the differential investigation of these pools. Most of the mobile phosphate metabolite intensity resides in the Pi peak at 3.5 ppm. A slight shift in the Pi resonance position indicates a 0.2 pH unit acidification upon illumination of rhodopsin. The absence of detectable nucleotide resonances, when compared with chemical analysis, indicates that the majority of the nucleotide population present is rather immobile and probably bound to the membranes.

Lamellar to tubular conformational changes in the endoplasmic reticulum of the retinal pigment epithelium of the newt, Notophthalmus viridescens

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of the newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) was examined ultrastructurally under both in-vivo and in-vitro conditions. Five distinct conformations of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER), two lamellar and three tubular, were observed. The two lamellar conformations included myeloid bodies, which have previously been described (Yorke and Dickson 1984), and fenestrated SER. The latter appeared as layers of flattened or curved cisternae which were penetrated by fenestrations. Fenestrated SER became indistinguishable from the highly branched and convoluted random-tubular SER through the formation of an intermediate configuration ("tubular sheets"). The remaining tubular SER conformations appeared to arise from random-tubular SER through a progressive reduction in branching and a straightening of individual tubules. Fascicular SER was represented by the hexagonal organization of straight, unbranched tubules into bundles (fascicles). Spiral SER consisted of a similar hexagonal arrangement, but the unbranched tubules spiralled about one another. Neighbouring tubules in areas of spiral SER were also joined together by pairs of electron-dense bars. Although lamellar (especially myeloid bodies) and random-tubular configurations of the SER were common features in vivo, fascicular and spiral SER were primarily conformations encountered in vitro. Conditions favouring bilayer lipid phases also appear to facilitate the formation of both myeloid bodies and fascicular SER. These conditions included increased duration of incubation, low (less than 20 degrees C) incubation temperatures, and Ca2+-free incubations with EGTA. Random-tubular SEB was most prevalent in media supplemented with fetal calf serum and also after warmer (30 degrees C) incubation temperatures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A cytochemical study of myeloid bodies in the retinal pigment epithelium of the newt Notophthalmus viridescens

It has been suggested (Yorke and Dickson 1984) that myeloid bodies (MBs) in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of the newt, Notophthalmus viridescens, may represent areas of endoplasmic reticulum where lipids, such as 11-cis retinal derived from phagocytized outer segment tips, accumulate prior to esterification. Experiments in which an artificial ester substrate was added during in-vitro incubations have shown that esterase activity is represented in all areas of the newt RPE endoplasmic reticulum, including sites adjacent to all MBs. In related tests in which the localization of enzyme activity was restricted to areas of the cell where there had been accumulations of naturally-occuring (endogenous) esters, the products of ester hydrolysis were restricted to profiles of endoplasmic reticulum associated with lipid droplets, and with the interior of about 20% of those MBs that appeared completely circular in sections. This enzyme activity was not associated with other MB configurations. Results from endogenous-ester hydrolysis were identical to those obtained after staining with ZIO. This ZIO-reactive was not affected by pre-incubation with agents that blocked or protected sulphydryl groups, and ZIO-reactive sites associated with MBs did not form complexes with digitonin. These observations suggest that MBs are a site of lipid-ester formation, but that they do not represent unique intracellular areas for this activity.

Thermotropic behavior of retinal rod membranes and dispersions of extracted phospholipids

High sensitivity, differential scanning calorimetry studies of bovine retinal rod outer segment (ROS) disk membranes and aqueous dispersions of the extracted ROS phospholipids have been performed. ROS disk membranes were found to exhibit a broad peak of excess heat capacity with a maximum at less than about 3 degrees C, ascribable to a gel-to-liquid crystalline phase transition of a fraction of the phospholipids. A similar thermotropic transition was observed for aqueous dispersions of the total extracted and purified ROS phospholipids. Comparison of the results obtained for the dispersion of total ROS phospholipids to those of the purified head group fractions suggests that the thermotropic behavior reflects a gel-to-liquid crystalline transition, leading to lateral phase separation, involving those phosphatidylcholine (PC) molecules containing saturated fatty acyl chains, possibly together with the highest melting ROS phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylserine (PS) components. The interpretation of the thermal behavior of the ROS disk membranes depends on whether the transition is assumed to derive from the ROS PC and/or PE/PS fractions, and whether the transbilayer arrangement of the ROS phospholipids is assumed to be symmetric or asymmetric. The calorimetric data can be simply explained in terms of an asymmetric distribution of the major ROS disk membrane phospholipids (G.P. Miljanich et al., J. Membrane Biol. 60:249-255, 1981). In this case, the transition would arise from the PE/PS fractions in the outer ROS disk membrane monolayer, and the anticipated transition from the PC in the inner monolayer would be broadened due to interaction with cholesterol. For the ROS membranes at higher temperatures, two additional, irreversible transitions are observed at 57 and 72 degrees C, corresponding to the thermal denaturation of opsin and rhodopsin, respectively.

Phase behavior of isolated photoreceptor membrane lipids is modulated by bivalent cations

The phase behavior of isolated photoreceptor membrane lipids is further investigated by 31P-NMR, in view of earlier discrepant results [(1979) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 558, 330-337; (1982) FEBS Lett. 124, 93-99]. We present evidence that the discrepancy is due to bivalent cations. When resuspended in aqueous media at neutral pH in the absence of bivalent cations, the isolated photoreceptor membrane lipids largely adopt the bilayer configuration. However, upon addition of such cations (Ca2+ greater than Mg2+) or when resuspended in their presence, the formation of other phases (hexagonal H11, lipidic particles) results. The rate of this transition depends on cation concentration and temperature. The transition is not easily reversed by addition of EDTA. Implications with regard to photoreceptor membrane structure and function need further study.

The effect of calcium on the bilayer stability of lipids from bovine rod outer segment disk membranes

The phase behavior of bovine rod outer segment disk lipids has been investigated using freeze-fracture and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. 31P-NMR spectra of isolated disk membranes were taken as a function of temperature between 25 degrees C and 45 degrees C. The 31P-NMR spectrum characteristic of phospholipid bilayers was observed at all temperatures both in the absence of Ca2+ and in the presence of 10 mM and 50 mM Ca2+. A similar study was performed on lipids isolated from the disk membranes. In the absence of Ca2+ only lamellar phase behavior was observed. In the presence of less than 10 mM Ca2+, however, there was a change in morphology to non-lamellar structures. Removal of the Ca2+ caused the system to reassume the lamellar form.

Phospholipid domains in bovine retinal rod outer segment disk membranes

Phospholipid behavior in bovine retinal rod outer segment disk membranes and in phosphatidylcholine membranes containing the photopigment rhodopsin is explored. 31P NMR spectra of these systems show two distinguishable resonances. One resembles closely the 31P NMR resonance normally obtained from phospholipid bilayers. The other resonance is much broader. Thus, there appear to be two phospholipid head-group domains in this retinal membrane. Each environment confers different properties on the head groups. Phosphatidylcholine membranes containing the disk photopigment also show two phospholipid domains. Therefore, the environment in the retinal rod outer segment disk membranes characterized by the broad resonance may arise from the influence of the integral membrane protein rhodopsin on the membrane phospholipid bilayer.

X-ray diffraction and electron microscope study of phase separation in rod outer segment photoreceptor membrane multilayers

Phase separation in artificially stacked multilayers of isolated bovine retinal rod outer segment (ROS) membranes has been examined via x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. Specimens were prepared by isopotential spin drying followed with partial hydration by equilibration against moist gas streams. Upon dehydration, the multilamellar membrane phase assumes a binary phase composition consisting of concentrated protein-containing lamellae interspersed with microdomains of hexagonally packed tubes of lipid in a HII configuration. The HII lattice is geometrically coupled to the lamellar phase with one set of hexagonal crystal planes co-planar to the local membrane lamellae. The hexagonal microdomains bear a striking resemblance to the "paracrystalline inclusions" observed in fast-frozen, intact frog ROS (Corless and Costello. 1981. Exp. Eye Res. 32:217). The lamellar lattice is characterized by an unusually small degree of disorder. Sharp lamellar diffraction with a 120 A unit cell is observed (at near total dehydration) to a resolution of 6 A. A model consistent with the data is that a multilamellar array of ROS disks is stable as long as the external disk surfaces are kept sufficiently far apart. If the distance between the membranes is allowed to shrink below a certain critical value, the disk lipids spontaneously convert to a nonbilayer phase. This suggests that the structure of the ROS is stabilized by an internal framework that acts to keep the disks apart from one another and from the plasmalemma. Thus, the necessity of avoiding phase separations may provide a rationale for the peculiar morphology of the ROS.

ESR spin-label studies of lipid-protein interactions in membranes

Lipid spin labels have been used to study lipid-protein interactions in bovine and frog rod outer segment disc membranes, in (Na+, K+)-ATPase membranes from shark rectal gland, and in yeast cytochrome oxidase-dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine complexes. These systems all display a two component ESR spectrum from 14-doxyl lipid spin-labels. One component corresponds to the normal fluid bilayer lipids. The second component has a greater degree of motional restriction and arises from lipids interacting with the protein. For the phosphatidylcholine spin label there are effectively 55 +/- 5 lipids/200,000-dalton cytochrome oxidase, 58 +/- 4 mol lipid/265,000 dalton (Na+, K+)-ATPase, and 24 +/- 3 and 22 +/- 2 mol lipid/37,000 dalton rhodopsin for the bovine and frog preparations, respectively. These values correlate roughly with the intramembrane protein perimeter and scale with the square root of the molecular weight of the protein. For cytochrome oxidase the motionally restricted component bears a fixed stoichiometry to the protein at high lipid:protein ratios, and is reduced at low lipid:protein ratios to an extent which can be quantitatively accounted for by random protein-protein contacts. Experiments with spin labels of different headgroups indicate a marked selectivity of cytochrome oxidase and the (Na+, K+)-ATPase for stearic acid and for cardiolipin, relative to phosphatidylcholine. The motionally restricted component from the cardiolipin spin label is 80% greater than from the phosphatidylcholine spin label for cytochrome oxidase (at lipid:protein = 90.1), and 160% greater for the (Na+, K+)-ATPase. The corresponding increases for the stearic acid label are 20% for cytochrome oxidase and 40% for (Na+, K+)-ATPase. The effective association constant for cardiolipin is approximately 4.5 times greater than for phosphatidylcholine, and that for stearic acid is 1.5 times greater, in both systems. Almost no specificity is found in the interaction of spin-labeled lipids (including cardiolipin) with rhodopsin in the rod outer segment disc membrane. The linewidths of the fluid spin-label component in bovine rod outer segment membranes are consistently higher than those in bilayers of the extracted membrane lipids and provide valuable information on the rate of exchange between the two lipid components, which is suggested to be in the range of 10(6)-10(7) s-1.