X-radiation damage of hydrated lecithin membranes detected by real-time X-ray diffraction using wiggler-enhanced synchrotron radiation as the ionizing radiation source

Membrane protein crystallization in lipidic mesophases. A mechanism study using X-ray microdiffraction

The membrane structural biologist seeks to understand how membrane proteins function at a molecular level. One of the most direct ways of accomplishing this requires knowing the structure of the protein, ideally at atomic resolution. To date, this can only be done by the method of macromolecular crystallography. Integral to the method is the need for three-dimensional crystals of diffraction quality and their production represents a major rate-limiting step in the overall process of structure determination. The in meso method is a novel approach for crystallizing membrane proteins. It makes use of lipidic mesophases, the cubic phase in particular. A mechanism for how the method works has been proposed. In this study, we set out to test one aspect of the hypothesis which posits that the protein migrates from the bulk mesophase reservoir to the face of the crystal by way of a lamellar conduit. Using a sub-micrometer-sized X-ray beam the interface between a growing membrane protein crystal and the bulk cubic phase was interrogated with micrometer spatial resolution. Characteristic diffraction from the lamellar phase was observed at the interface as expected. This result supports the proposal that the protein uses a lamellar portal on its way from the bulk mesophase up and into the face of the crystal.

Characterisation of clusters of alpha-tocopherol in gel and fluid phases of dipalmitoylglycerophosphocholine

The effect of alpha-tocopherol on the phase behaviour of aqueous dispersions of dipalmitoylglycerophosphocholine has been examined by differential scanning calorimetry, freeze-fracture electron microscopy, and real-time X-ray diffraction methods. The presence of alpha-tocopherol in proportions 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 mol/100 mol results in a progressive decrease in the temperature of the gel to liquid-crystalline phase transition from 41.5 degrees C to 36 degrees C and a reduction in transition enthalpy from 35 kJ.mol-1 to 15 kJ.mol-1 phospholipid. The thermal data indicated that the pretransition of the phospholipid is eliminated even in mixtures containing 2.5 mol/100 mol alpha-tocopherol. Real-time X-ray diffraction measurements using synchrotron radiation performed under identical conditions to the thermal studies showed clear transition sequences of L beta-->P beta-->L alpha for all mixtures. The sequence was reversible with hysteresis of 2-3 degrees C on cooling. Low-angle X-ray scattering from mixtures in the gel phase showed three lamellar repeat spacings of 6.35, 7.5, and 8.4 nm. The spacing at 6.35 nm was assigned to pure phospholipid from which alpha-tocopherol has been phase separated into enriched domains giving lamellar repeat spacings of 7.5 nm and 8.4 nm. Low-angle diffraction patterns of mixtures in the fluid phase were characterised by two lamellar repeat spacings. The longer spacing of about 6.6 nm was assigned to pure phospholipid and the shorter spacing at about 6.1 nm to an alpha-tocopherol-enriched phase. Electron microscopy of freeze-fracture replicas of mixtures of phospholipid containing 10 mol/100 mol alpha-tocopherol thermally quenched from 10 degrees C and 60 degrees C, showed evidence of domain structures within the bilayer plane that appeared to be correlated between successive bilayers in multilamellar dispersions. Calculations of the stoichiometry of phospholipid: alpha-tocopherol in the alpha-tocopherol-enriched domains based on enthalpy data and integrated X-ray scattering intensity gave values of 9.6:1 for the fluid phase and 9.2:1 for the gel phase. This was consistent with a clustering of alpha-tocopherol molecules in both gel and liquid-crystal phases of dipalmitoyl-glycerophospholcholine in approximately the same stoichiometry.

Real-time X-ray diffraction study at different scan rates of phase transitions for dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine in KSCN

Multibilayer arrays of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) in 1 M KSCN were characterized using real-time X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. A phase transition sequence was observed as a function of increasing temperature which involved changes from the interdigitated subgel (Lc(inter)) to interdigitated gel (L beta(inter)) to disordered (L alpha) bilayer states. The phase transition mechanisms were unambiguously determined by comparison of results from fast and slow scans. The Lc(inter)-->L beta(inter) phase transition was shown to involve a continuous change in acyl chain spacing between the rectangular subgel acyl chain unit cell into an hexagonal gel acyl chain unit cell. The mechanism is similar to that for subgel to gel state transitions involving non-interdigitated DPPC bilayers.

Thermotropic behaviour of gamma-irradiated diacylphosphatidylcholine multibilayer vesicles: role of single radiolysis products

The concentrations of two isomeric lysophosphatidylcholines (LPC), free palmitic acid (FPA) and glycerophosphorycholine (GPC), have been evaluated in multibilayer vesicles (MBV) of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (DPPC) at different absorbed doses, by 1H and 31P nmr. No evidence of cross-linking of lipid molecules has been found. The presence of radiolysis products of DPPC is by itself capable of justifying the thermotropic behaviour of irradiated MBV, as it appears with differential scanning calorimetry analysis. In fact, on increasing LPC concentration, the onset temperature of the main transition (MT) is proportionally shifted towards lower temperatures, without alteration of its width. A similar effect is also produced by LPC on the lower transition (LT). On the contrary, on increasing the FPA concentration, the MT width increases proportionally. Simultaneously, the LT is shifted towards higher temperatures and disappears above a certain FPA concentration. The overall effect of LPC and FPA on MT appears as a linear combination of the two effects. As far as LT is concerned, LPC and FPA compete with one another in determining whether it will be present or not and, if present, in determining its onset temperature. No GPC effect on the phase transitions could be detected within the limits of the composition of our irradiated MBV.

Synchrotron X-ray studies of lipids and membranes: a critique

This review gives a description of techniques, suitable for the study of lipid dispersions and unorientated membranes, that are available at synchrotron facilities to determine either the kinetics of transitional phenomena in the time after a temperature or pressure jump is initiated, or the phases present while a sample undergoes a phase transition. Included in this description is information about synchrotron X-ray sources, sample holders and temperature controllers, detection systems, as well as data reduction. Examples involving lipid dispersions are provided to illustrate the application of these methods using synchrotron radiation.

Kinetics and mechanism of the pressure-induced lamellar order/disorder transition in phosphatidylethanolamine: a time-resolved X-ray diffraction study

By using synchrotron radiation, a movie was made of the X-ray scattering pattern from a biological liquid crystal undergoing a phase transition induced by a pressure jump. The system studied includes the fully hydrated phospholipid dihexadecylphosphatidylethanolamine in the lamellar gel (L beta') phase at a temperature of 68 degrees C and a pressure of 9.7 MPa (1400 psig). Following the rapid release of pressure to atmospheric the L beta' phase transforms slowly into the lamellar liquid crystal (L alpha) phase. The pressure perturbation is applied with the intention of producing a sudden phase disequilibrium followed by monitoring the system as it relaxes to its new equilibrium condition. Remarkably, the proportion of sample in the L alpha phase grows linearly with time, taking 37 s to totally consume the L beta' phase. The time dependencies of radius, peak intensity, and width of the powder diffraction ring of the low-angle (001) lamellar reflections were obtained from the movie by image processing. The concept of an "effective pressure" is introduced to account for the temperature variations that accompany the phase transition and to establish that the observed large transit time is indeed intrinsic to the sample and not due to heat exchange with the environment. The reverse transformation, L alpha to L beta', induced by a sudden jump from atmospheric pressure to 9.7 MPa, is complete in less than 13 s. These measurements represent a new approach for studying the kinetics of lipid phase transitions and for gaining insights into the mechanism of the lamellar order/disorder transition.

Diacetylenic lipid microstructures: structural characterization by X-ray diffraction and comparison with the saturated phosphatidylcholine analogue

Thermotropic and lyotropic mesomorphism in the polymerizable lecithin 1,2-ditricosa-10,12-diynoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and its saturated analogue, 1,2-ditricosanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, has been investigated by wide- and low-angle X-ray diffraction of both powder and oriented samples and by differential scanning calorimetry. Previous studies have shown that the hydrated diacetylenic lipid forms novel microstructures (tubules and stacked bilayer sheets) in its low-temperature phase. The diffraction results indicate that at low temperatures fully hydrated tubules and sheets have an identical lamellar repeat size (d001 = 66.4 A) and crystalline-like packing of the acyl chains. Chain packing in the lamellar crystalline phase is hydration independent. A model for the polymerizable lecithin with (1) fully extended all-trans methylene segments, (2) a long-axis tilt of 32 degrees, and (3) minimal chain interdigitation seems most reasonable on energetic grounds, is consistent with the diffraction data (to 3.93-A resolution), and is likely to support facile polymerization. Above the chain "melting" transition the lamellar repeat of the polymerizable lipid increases to 74 A. The conformational similarity between tubules, sheets, and the dry powder is corroborated by calorimetry, which reveals a cooling exotherm at the same temperature where tubules form upon cooling hydrated sheets. The data suggest that although a high degree of conformational order is a pertinent feature of tubules, this character alone is not sufficient to account for tubule formation. The conformation of the corresponding saturated phosphatidylcholine appears to be similar to that of other saturated phosphatidylcholines in the lamellar gel phase. Furthermore, above the main transition temperature, the dry, saturated lipid shows evidence of a P delta phase (112 degrees C), whereas the diacetylenic lipid appears to exhibit a centered rectangular phase, R alpha (55 degrees C).

Temperature dependence of the ripple structure in dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine studied by synchrotron X-ray small-angle diffraction

The ripple structure of 1,2-dimyristoyl-L-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) multibilayer containing excess water (60 wt%) was studied by synchrotron X-ray small-angle diffraction. The (0,1) spacing which corresponds to the ripple repeat distance depends on temperature: At 13 degrees C the (0,1) spacing is 14.15 nm, the spacing decreases at higher temperatures and reaches 12.1 nm at 23.5 degrees C, just below the main transition temperature. The spacing is in good agreement between heating process and cooling process except for the supercooling region. The result suggests that the rearrangement of the ripple structure takes place during temperature change successively. The Landau-de Gennes free energy equation explains well the temperature dependence of the ripple repeat distance.

Kinetics and mechanism of transitions involving the lamellar, cubic, inverted hexagonal, and fluid isotropic phases of hydrated monoacylglycerides monitored by time-resolved X-ray diffraction

A study of the dynamics and mechanism of the various thermotropic phase transitions undergone by the hydrated monoacylglycerides monoolein and monoelaidin, in the temperature range of 20-120 degrees C and from 0 to 5 M NaCl, has been undertaken. Measurements were made by using time-resolved X-ray diffraction at the Cornell High-Energy Synchrotron Source. The lamellar chain order/disorder, lamellar/cubic (body centered, space group No. 8), cubic (body centered, No. 8)/cubic (primitive, No. 4), cubic (body centered, No. 12)/cubic (primitive, No. 4), cubic (primitive, No. 4)/fluid isotropic, cubic (body centered, No. 12)/inverted hexagonal, cubic (primitive, No. 4)/inverted hexagonal, and hexagonal/fluid isotropic transitions were examined under active heating and passive cooling by using a jump in temperature to effect phase transformation. All of the transitions with the exception of the cubic (body centered, No. 8)/cubic (primitive, No. 4) and the cubic (body centered, No. 12)/cubic (primitive, No. 4) cooling transitions were found (1) to be repeatable, (2) to be reversible, and (3) to have an upper bound on the transit time (time required to complete the transition) of less than or equal to 3 s. The shortest transit times recorded for the various phase changes in the heating direction were less than or equal to 1.9 (lamellar chain melting), less than or equal to 1.7 [lamellar liquid crystal/cubic (body (body centered, No. 8)], less than or equal to 0.5 [cubic (body centered, No. 8)/cubic (primitive, No. 4)], less than or equal to 0.9 [cubic (primitive, No. 4)/hexagonal], less than or equal to 1.3 [cubic (body centered, No. 12)/cubic (primitive, No. 4) and cubic (body centered, No. 12)/hexagonal], and less than or equal to 0.6 s (hexagonal/fluid isotropic). For the exceptions noted above, the transitions were slow with transit times ranging from 0.5 to 30 min and displayed pronounced hysteresis and/or undercooling. Regardless of the direction of the transitions, all but one appear to be two state to within the sensitivity limits of the time-resolved method. In the case of the lamellar liquid crystal/cubic (body centered, No. 8) transition a stable intermediate of unknown identity was apparent. In addition to the time-resolved measurements, data were obtained on the stability of the various phases in the temperature range of 20-120 degrees C and from 0 to 5 M NaCl. In the case of fully hydrated monoolein, high salt strongly favors the hexagonal over the cubic (body centered, No. 8) phase and slightly elevates the hexagonal/fluid isotropic transition temperature.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

A crystalline lipid phase in a dry biological system: evidence from X-ray diffraction analysis of Typha latifolia pollen

The temperature limits for germination in Typha latifolia pollen lie within the range 4-40 degrees C. These limits correlate at the low-temperature end with the 'crystallization' of endogenous triacylglycerols and on the high-temperature end with the 'melting' of a gel-like lipid component in intact pollen. X-ray diffraction analysis was used to structurally characterize and to trace the latter gel-like lipid from the intact pollen through a range of pollen lipid fractions. We tentatively identify this component as a fatty acyl sterol ester and present evidence that it resides in the exine of the pollen grain. Its thermotropic behavior is insensitive to pollen hydration. The possibility of interpreting a crystalline lipid phase as being membrane-derived when in fact it originates from contaminating non-membranous neutral lipid is discussed. The total lipid content of T. latifolia pollen is 123 mg/g dry weight, of which 37% is polar lipid. The neutral lipid consists primarily of triacylglycerols and of the aforementioned sterol ester, which represents 0.34% (w/w) of pollen dry weight. The polar lipid fraction has phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidic acid as major components with lesser amounts of phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol. Palmitic (16:0) and linoleic (18:2) acids, in a 1:2 molar ratio, constitute the major fatty acids of both polar and neutral lipid fractions with lesser amounts of linolenic (18:3), oleic (18:1) and stearic (18:0) acid in evidence.

Mechanism and kinetics of the subtransition in hydrated L-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine

The mechanism of the subtransitions (Lc to L beta') in L-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers in excess water has been investigated by time-resolved X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. The temperature dependence of the diffraction patterns closely correlate with the asymmetric excess specific heat variation recorded by differential scanning calorimetry. During the subtransition two prominent wide-angle reflections, characteristic of the low-temperature crystalline phase, Lc, gradually change such that a sharp peak at a spacing of 0.430 nm decreases in intensity and ultimately disappears while a broader peak initially located at 0.375 nm progressively shifts to an eventual spacing of 0.410 nm. This behaviour is interpreted as a lateral deformation of the acyl chain packing subcell as the chains begin to rotate until a state is reached where the chains pack on a regular hexagonal array characteristic of the L beta phase. An increase in lamellar repeat distance from 6.0 to 6.4 nm takes place simultaneously with the acyl chain rearrangement at relatively low (5 K/min) as well as high (6 K/s) heating rates. As judged from the shape of the wide-angle peak, transformation to L beta' phase occurs some minutes after transition to the L beta phase. The X-ray data characterise the subtransition as a continuous (second order) phase transition in which a presumably orthorhombic subcell is transformed into a hexagonal subcell in a gradual process. In temperature jump experiments at 6 K/s between 0 degree C and 80 degrees C the relaxation time of the subtransition was found to be about 5 s while the relaxation time of the main gel to liquid-crystalline transition was about 2 s.

Effect of chlorophyll a on the phase behavior of hydrated monogalactosyldiacylglycerols

We have studied the effect of chlorophyll a (chl a) on the X-ray diffraction patterns and the appearance of freeze-fracture electron micrographs of aqueous dispersions of monogalactosyldiacylglycerols (MGDG), the most abundant lipid in the thylakoid membrane. In MGDG systems containing 0-18 mol% of chl a, the diffraction patterns indicate the presence of a well-ordered reverse hexagonal phase. When 30 mol% of chl a was incorporated into the MGDG, the low-angle X-ray diffraction lines of the hexagonal lattice were slightly broadened and were accompanied by additional weak lines. With higher mol percents of chl a, the low-angle lines could no longer be indexed on a hexagonal or lamellar lattice. The freeze-fracture electron micrographs of similar samples showed that the patterns characteristic of the reverse hexagonal phase of an aqueous dispersion of pure MGDG were replaced by large liposomes, the fracture pattern of which is circular. We conclude that chl a in excess of 20 mol% destabilized the orderly reverse hexagonal phase of aqueous MGDG dispersions and disturbed the long-range order of the lipid array. These results are summarized in a temperature-composition isobaric phase diagram over a temperature range of -60 degrees C to 60 degrees C.

Kinetics and mechanism of the lamellar gel/lamellar liquid-crystal and lamellar/inverted hexagonal phase transition in phosphatidylethanolamine: a real-time X-ray diffraction study using synchrotron radiation

A study of the kinetics and mechanism of the thermotropic lamellar gel/lamellar liquid-crystalline and lamellar/inverted hexagonal phase transition in dihexadecylphosphatidylethanolamine (DHPE) at various hydration levels has been carried out. Measurements were made by using a real-time X-ray diffraction method at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source. This represents an extension of an earlier study concerning the lamellar gel/lamellar liquid-crystalline phase transition in dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine [Caffrey, M., & Bilderback, D. H. (1984) Biophys. J. 45, 627-631]. With DHPE, the chain-melting and the nonbilayer transitions were examined under active heating and passive cooling conditions by using a temperature jump to effect phase transformation. Measurements were made at hydration levels ranging from 0% to 60% (w/w) water, and in all cases, the transitions were found to be repeatable, be reversible, and have an upper bound on the transit times (time required to complete the transition) of less than or equal to 3 s. The shortest transit time recorded for the chain-melting and lamellar/hexagonal transitions was less than 1 s. At 8% (w/w) water, the transit times were still on the order of seconds even though the transition does not involve the intermediate L alpha phase. Note, the measured transit times are gross values incorporating the intrinsic transit time in addition to the time required to heat or cool the sample through the transition temperature range and to supply or remove the latent heat of the transition. Regardless of the direction of the transition, both appear to be two state to within the sensitivity limits of the real-time method. From simultaneous wide- and low-angle measurements at the lamellar chain-melting transition, loss of long-range order in the lamellar gel phase appears to precede the chain-melting process. On the basis of the real-time X-ray diffraction measurements, a mechanism is proposed for the lamellar/hexagonal phase transition. The mechanism does not involve large or energetically expensive molecular rearrangements, leads directly to a hexagonal lattice coplanar with the lamellar phase, incorporates facile reversibility, repeatability, and cooperativity, accounts for an observed, apparent memory in the hexagonal phase of the original lamellar phase orientation, and is consistent with the experimental observation of a predominantly two-state transition. In conjunction with the kinetic measurements, the DHPE/water phase diagram was constructed. At and above 12% (w/w) water, the thermotropic transition sequence is L beta'/L alpha/HII.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)