The effects of aggregation and protein corona on the cellular internalization of iron oxide nanoparticles

Engineered inorganic nanoparticles are essential components in the development of nanotechnologies. For applications in nanomedicine, particles need to be functionalized to ensure a good dispersibility in biological fluids. In many cases however, functionalization is not sufficient: the particles become either coated by a corona of serum proteins or precipitate out of the solvent. In the present paper, we show that by changing the coating of iron oxide nanoparticles from a low-molecular weight ligand (citrate ions) to small carboxylated polymers (poly(acrylic acid)), the colloidal stability of the dispersion is improved and the adsorption/internalization of iron toward living mammalian cells is profoundly affected. Citrate-coated particles are shown to destabilize in all fetal-calf-serum based physiological conditions tested, whereas the polymer coated particles exhibit an outstanding dispersibility as well as a structure devoid of protein corona. The interactions between nanoparticles and human lymphoblastoid cells are investigated by transmission electron microscopy and flow cytometry. Two types of nanoparticle/cell interactions are underlined. Iron oxides are found either adsorbed on the cellular membranes, or internalized into membrane-bound endocytosis compartments. For the precipitating citrate-coated particles, the kinetics of interactions reveal a massive and rapid adsorption of iron oxide on the cell surfaces. The quantification of the partition between adsorbed and internalized iron was performed from the cytometry data. The results highlight the importance of resilient adsorbed nanomaterials at the cytoplasmic membrane.

Structure of the tetraspanin main extracellular domain. A partially conserved fold with a structurally variable domain insertion

The tetraspanin family of membrane glycoproteins is involved in the regulation of cellular development, proliferation, activation, and mobility. We have attempted to predict the structural features of the large extracellular domain of tetraspanins (EC2), which is very important in determining their functional specificity. The tetraspanin EC2 is composed of two subdomains: a conserved three-helix subdomain and a variable secondary structure subdomain inserted within the conserved subdomain. The occurrence of key disulphide bridges and other invariant residues leads to a conserved relative topology of both subdomains and also suggests a structural classification of tetraspanins. Using the CD81 EC2 structure as a template, the structures of two other EC2s were predicted by homology modeling and indicate a conserved shape, in which the variable subdomain is located at one side of the structure. The conserved and variable subdomains might contain sites that correspond, respectively, to common and specific interactions of tetraspanins. The tetraspanin EC2 seems to correspond to a new scheme of fold conservation/variability among proteins, namely the insertion of a structurally variable subdomain within an otherwise conserved fold.

Mapping of the detergent-exposed surface of membrane proteins and peptides by 1H solution NMR in detergent: Application to the gramicidin A ion channel

The present work evaluates the use of intermolecular polypeptide-detergent 1H through-space connectivities to determine the bilayer exposed-surface and the bilayer topography of membrane polypeptides solubilized in non- deuterated detergents. For this purpose, the membrane peptide gramicidin A, solubilized in non-deuterated sodium dodecylsulfate as its dimeric β6,3 helix channel conformation was used. For this peptide, a high-resolution 3D structure, as well as reasonable assumptions concerning its membrane arrangement, exist. Band-selective 2D NOESY, ROESY and 3D NOESY-NOESY experiments were used to detect detergent-polypeptide through-space correlations in the presence of an excess of the non-deuterated detergent. The observed intermolecular NOEs appear to be strongly temperature- dependent. Based on the known 3D structure of the gramicidin channel, the detergent-polypeptide through-space correlations appear to be selective for 1H located on the hydrophobic surface of gramicidin A with very few contributions from interior 1H or water-exposed 1H. It is suggested that this method can be of general use to evaluate the bilayer-exposed surface and topography of membrane peptides and small proteins.

Interaction of the wheat endosperm lipid-binding protein puroindoline-a with phospholipids

Puroindoline-a is the main component of a new family of proteins that has been suggested to exert an antimicrobial activity in plant seeds through an interaction with lipid membranes. Here the interaction of puroindoline-a with model phospholipid membranes and micelles has been studied using intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence, fluorescence polarization of diphenyl hexatriene, and proteolysis experiments. The protein appears to interact with both zwitterionic and negative phospholipids. The interaction with phosphatidylcholine is characterized by low-affinity surface binding with very limited penetration into the hydrophobic membrane interior. On the other hand, the interaction with phosphatidylglycerol displays a high affinity and involves a partial penetration of the protein into the bilayer interior that disrupts acyl chain packing. The specificity appears to be due to the presence of a stretch of positively charged residues in the protein sequence. In all, the lipid-binding properties of puroindoline-a resemble those of cardiotoxins, another family of proteins for which a disruptive effect on the membrane structure has been involved to explain their biological function.

High-resolution mono- and multidimensional magic angle spinning 1H nuclear magnetic resonance of membrane peptides in nondeuterated lipid membranes and H2O

High-speed (14 kHz) solid-state magic angle spinning (MAS) 1H NMR has been applied to several membrane peptides incorporated into nondeuterated dilauroyl or dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine membranes suspended in H2O. It is shown that solvent suppression methods derived from solution NMR, such as presaturation or jump-return, can be used to reduce water resonance, even at relatively high water content. In addition, regioselective excitation of 1H peptide resonances promotes an efficient suppression of lipid resonances, even in cases where these are initially two orders of magnitude more intense. As a consequence, 1H MAS spectra of the peptide low-field region are obtained without interference from water and lipid signals. These display resonances from amide and other exchangeable 1H as well as from aromatic nonexchangeable 1H. The spectral resolution depends on the specific types of resonance and membrane peptide. For small amphiphilic or hydrophobic oligopeptides, resolution of most individual amide resonance is achieved, whereas for the transmembrane peptide gramicidin A, an unresolved amide spectrum is obtained. Partial resolution of aromatic 1H occurs in all cases. Multidimensional 1H-MAS spectra of membrane peptides can also be obtained by using water suppression and regioselective excitation. For gramicidin A, F2-regioselective 2D nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) spectra are dominated by intermolecular through-space connectivities between peptide aromatic or formyl 1H and lipid 1H. These appear to be compatible with the known structure and topography of the gramicidin pore. On the other hand, for the amphiphilic peptide leucine-enkephalin, F2-regioselective NOESY spectra mostly display cross-peaks originating from though-space proximities of amide or aromatic 1H with themselves and with aliphatic 1H. F3-regioselective 3D NOESY-NOESY spectra can be used to obtain through-space correlations within aliphatic 1H. Such intrapeptide proximities should allow determination of the conformation of the peptide in membranes. It is suggested that high-speed MAS multidimensional 1H NMR of peptides in nondeuterated membranes and in H2O can be used for studies of both peptide structure and lipid-peptide interactions.

Band-selective 3D NOESY-TOCSY: measurement of through-space correlations between aliphatic protons of membrane peptides and proteins in non-deuterated detergents

Recently the use of band-selective excitation to obtain 1H 2D NMR spectra of membrane peptides and proteins in non-deuterated detergents has been demonstrated [Seigneuret, M. and Levy, D. (1995) J. Biomol. NMR, 5, 345-352]. A limitation of the method was the inability to obtain through-space correlation between aliphatic protons. Here, a 3D F3-band-selective NOESY-TOCSY experiment is described that allows such correlations to be observed in the presence of an excess of non-deuterated detergent. Application to the measurement of proximities between aliphatic protons of the membrane peptide mastoparan X solubilized in non-deuterated n-octylglucoside is presented. With this additional experiment, it is now possible to obtain the same amount of structural constraints on membrane peptides and protein in non-deuterated detergent as in deuterated detergent and therefore to perform complete structural studies.

Ultrafast glycerophospholipid-selective transbilayer motion mediated by a protein in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane

A relatively rapid transbilayer motion of phospholipids in the microsomal membrane seems to be required due to their asymmetric synthesis in the cytoplasmic leaflet. Marked discrepancies exist with regard to the rate and specificity of this flip-flop process. To reinvestigate this problem, we have used both spin-labeled and radioactively labeled long chain phospholipids with a new fast translocation assay. Identical results were obtained with both types of probes. Transbilayer motion of glycerophospholipids was found to be much more rapid than previously reported (half-time less than 25 s) and to occur identically for phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidylethanolamine. Such transport is nonvectorial and leads to a symmetric transbilayer distribution of phospholipids. In contrast, transverse diffusion of sphingomyelin was 1 order of magnitude slower. Phospholipid flip-flop appears to occur by a protein-mediated transport process displaying saturable and competitive behavior. Proteolysis, chemical modification, and competition experiments suggest that this transport process may be related to that previously described in the endoplasmic reticulum for short-chain phosphatidylcholine (Bishop, W. R., and Bell, R. M. (1985) Cell 42, 51-60). The relationship between phospholipid flip-flop and nonbilayer structures occurring in the endoplasmic reticulum was also investigated by 31P-NMR. Several conditions were found under which the 31P isotropic NMR signal previously attributed to nonbilayer structures is decreased or abolished, whereas transbilayer diffusion is unaffected, suggesting that the flip-flop process is independent of such structures. It is concluded that flip-flop in the endoplasmic reticulum is mediated by a bidirectional protein transporter with a high efficiency for glycerophospholipids and a low efficiency for sphingomyelin. In vivo, the activity of this transporter would be able to redistribute all changes in phospholipid composition due to biosynthetic processes between the two leaflets of the endoplasmic reticulum membranes within a time scale of seconds.

Alkali cation transport through liposomes by the antimicrobial fusafungine and its constitutive enniatins

Fusafungine is a peptide antibiotic mixture composed of several enniatins and active against Gram-positive bacteria. Ionophoric properties of fusafungine have been studied in liposomes by measuring protoncation exchange by both fluorescence and 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and have been compared to those of its constituent enniatin peptides. Fusafungine, as well as enniatins, transport cations through a mobile carrier mechanism selective for K+ vs. Na+ and involving two antibiotic molecules. The transport efficiencies of the various enniatins appear to be related to their hydrophobicity, in agreement with a previously proposed "sandwich" transport model. The ionophoric properties of crude fusafungine may be involved in its antibiotic action and its local therapeutic properties.

A high-resolution 1H NMR approach for structure determination of membrane peptides and proteins in non-deuterated detergent: application to mastoparan X solubilized in n-octylglucoside

Application of 1H 2D NMR methods to solubilized membrane proteins and peptides has up to now required the use of selectively deuterated detergents. The unavailability of any of the common biochemical detergents in deuterated form has therefore limited to some extent the scope of this approach. Here a 1H NMR method is described which allows structure determination of membrane peptides and small membrane proteins by 1H 2D NMR in any type of non-deuterated detergent. The approach is based on regioselective excitation of protein resonances with DANTE-Z or spin-pinging pulse trains. It is shown that regioselective excitation of the amide-aromatic region of solubilized membrane proteins and peptides leads to an almost complete suppression of the two orders of magnitude higher contribution of the protonated detergent to the 1H NMR spectrum. Consistently TOCSY, COSY and NOESY sequences incorporating such regioselective excitation in the F2 dimension yield protein 1H 2D NMR spectra of quality comparable to those obtained in deuterated detergents. Regioselective TOCSY and NOESY spectra display all through-bond and through-space correlations within amide-aromatic protons and between these protons and aliphatic and alpha-protons. Regioselective COSY spectra provide scalar coupling constants between amide and alpha-protons. Application of the method to the membrane-active peptide mastoparan X, solubilized in n-octylglucoside, yields complete sequence-specific assignments and extensive secondary structure-related spatial proximities and coupling constants.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Localisation of methionine residues in bacteriorhodopsin by carbonyl 13C-NMR with sequence-specific assignments

High-resolution 13C-NMR experiments have been performed on bacteriorhodopsin biosynthetically labeled with carbonyl-13C amino acids and solubilized in the detergent dodecylmaltoside. 13C-NMR spectra showing good resolution were obtained in the case of labeled amino acids moderately represented in the BR sequence. For BR labeled with [13C]carbonyl methionine, several sequence-specific assignment could be performed by co-labeling with 15N amino acids or proteolysis. These assignments were used to obtain structural data on BR. Water-exposure of methionine side chains in the protein was assessed by studying, using NMR, their oxidation by hydrogen peroxide. Local secondary structure at the level of methionine residues was monitored through the effect of 1H-2H exchange on NMR spectra. It was concluded that Met32, Met68 and Met163 are peripheral while all 6 other methionine residues are deeply embedded within hydrophobic alpha-helices. These results confirm the current model of the BR folding and secondary structure.

Detergent delipidation and solubilization strategies for high-resolution NMR of the membrane protein bacteriorhodopsin

High-resolution NMR studies of bacteriorhodopsin require the availability of the detergent-solubilized protein with both high concentration and small rotational correlation time. A procedure is described for the optimized preparation of such samples. Bacteriorhodopsin was first delipidated by detergent treatment of purple membrane under nonsolubilizing conditions for the protein. The delipidated aggregated protein could then be solubilized into monomers at concentration close to millimolar by selected detergents. The solubilizing detergent had an important effect on the rotational correlation time of the protein as shown by measuring in each case the temperature-dependent stability of the protein, the size of the detergent-protein complex, and the detergent viscosity. Consistently, a strong influence of the detergent was also found on spectral resolution in 13C NMR spectra of solubilized bacteriorhodopsin labeled with [1-13C]phenylalanine. Best resolution was obtained using n-dodecylmaltoside as detergent, with which relatively narrow well resolved 13C NMR resonances were observed at 50 degrees C. It is suggested that high-resolution NMR studies performed with this detergent may contribute to the structural resolution of bacteriorhodopsin.

High-resolution 13C NMR study of the topography and dynamics of methionine residues in detergent-solubilized bacteriorhodopsin

The proton transport membrane protein bacteriorhodopsin has been biosynthetically labeled with [methyl-13C]methionine and studied by high-resolution 13C NMR after solubilization in the detergent Triton X-100. The nine methionine residues of bacteriorhodopsin give rise to four well-resolved 13C resonances, two of which are shifted upfield or downfield due to nearby aromatic residues. Methionine residues located on the hydrophilic surfaces, on the hydrophobic surface, and in the interior of the protein could be discriminated by studying the effects of papain proteolysis, glycerol-induced viscosity increase, and paramagnetic broadening by spin-labels on NMR spectra. Such data were used to evaluate current models of the bacteriorhodopsin transmembrane folding and tertiary structure. T2 and NOE measurements were performed to study the local dynamics of methionine residues in bacteriorhodopsin. For the detergent-solubilized protein, hydrophilic and hydrophobic external residues undergo a relatively large extent of side chain wobbling motion while most internal residues are less mobile. In the native purple membrane and in reconstituted bacteriorhodopsin liposomes, almost all methionine residues have their wobbling motion severely restricted, indicating a large effect of the membrane environment on the protein internal dynamics.

Evidence for proton countertransport by the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2(+)-ATPase during calcium transport in reconstituted proteoliposomes with low ionic permeability

To ascertain the coupling between Ca2+ and H+ fluxes during Ca2+ transport by the Ca2(+)-pumping ATPase of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, we used well characterized reconstituted proteoliposomes. The method for the functional reconstitution of the Ca2(+)-ATPase was an extension of our recently published procedure (Rigaud, J. L., Paternostre, M. T., and Bluzat, A. (1988) Biochemistry, 27, 2677-2688). The reconstituted vesicles which sustained high Ca2+ transport activities in the absence of Ca2+ precipitating anions exhibited low ionic passive permeability. Proton fluxes generated by external acid pulses have been monitored by using the fluorescence of the pH-sensitive probe pyranine trapped inside proteliposomes. When K+ was the only permeant ion, low proton-hydroxyl passive permeability was found (permeability coefficient congruent to 5 x 10(-5) cm s-1). In the presence of Cl-1 ions, a higher proton permeability was observed, presumably due to diffusion of HCl molecules. It was further demonstrated that systematic characterization of the passive permeability is essential for understanding and controlling the ATP-dependent Ca2+ accumulation in the reconstituted liposomes. The first line of evidence for Ca2(+)-H+ countertransport during operation of the Ca2(+)-ATPase came from Ca2+ uptake measurements. The ATP-dependent Ca2+ accumulation into proteoliposomes was shown to be critically dependent upon the ionic composition of the medium and the presence of ionophores. In K2SO4 medium a very low Ca2+ uptake was obtained which was only slightly affected by the presence of valinomycin. On the contrary, Ca2+ accumulation was increased 3-4-fold in the presence of the protonophore carbonyl-cyanide-p-trifluoromethoxy phenylhydrazone, indicating that a transmembrane pH gradient was built up during Ca2+ uptake that inhibited the transport activity of the pump. Accordingly, we found that Ca2+ loading capacity increased with internal buffer capacity. Finally in KCl medium, high Ca2+ accumulation was observed even in the absence of protonophore in agreement with a rapid dissipation of the pH gradient in the presence of chloride ions. Additional evidence that the Ca2+ pump of sarcoplasmic reticulum operated as a Ca2(+)-H+ countertransport was provided by measurements of ATP-dependent intraliposomal alkalinization using entrapped 8-hydroxyl-1,3,6-pyrene trisulfonate (pyranine) and accumulation of the weak acid acetate. In K2SO4 medium, transmembrane pH gradients of about 1 pH unit were generated with kinetics parallel to those of the Ca2+ uptake.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Phospholipid vesicle solubilization and reconstitution by detergents. Symmetrical analysis of the two processes using octaethylene glycol mono-n-dodecyl ether

The processes of liposome solubilization and reconstitution were studied by using n-dodecyl octaethylene glycol monoether (C12E8). The solubilization of large unilamellar liposomes prepared by reverse-phase evaporation was systematically investigated by turbidity, 31P nuclear magnetic resonance, and centrifugation experiments. The solubilization process is well described by the three-stage model previously proposed for other detergents, and our results further demonstrate the validity of some of the postulates related to this model. In stage I, the detergent distributes between the bilayers and the aqueous solution with a partition coefficient of 1.6 mM-1. In stage II, the detergent-saturated liposomes convert into mixed micelles, the conversion being complete by stage III where all the phospholipids are present as mixed micelles. The agreement between the three methods was excellent, and the results allowed quantitative determination of the effective detergent to phospholipid ratios at which the lamellar to micellar transformation begins and is complete, which amounted to 0.66 and 2.2 (mol/mol), respectively. Furthermore, compositional analysis determined from centrifugation experiments directly demonstrate that the properties of detergent-saturated liposomes and mixed micelles remain constant throughout most of stage II: the C12E8 to phospholipid ratios in the pelleted vesicles and in micelles are constant during stage II and similar to the ratios at which stage II was initiated and complete, respectively. On the other hand, bilayer formation upon detergent removal from mixed C12E8-phospholipid micelles by SM2 Bio-Beads is demonstrated to be the symmetrical opposite of bilayer solubilization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A systematic study of liposome and proteoliposome reconstitution involving Bio-Bead-mediated Triton X-100 removal

Equilibrium and kinetic aspects of Triton X-100 adsorption onto hydrophobic Bio-Beads SM2 were investigated in detail using the batch procedure originally described by Holloway, P.W. (1973) Anal. Biochem. 53, 304-308. The results demonstrated the importance of the initial detergent concentration, the amount of beads, the commercial source of the detergent, the temperature and the presence of phospholipids in determining the rates of Triton X-100 adsorption onto Bio-Beads. One of the main findings was that Bio-Beads allowed the almost complete removal of Triton X-100, whatever the initial experimental conditions. It was shown that monomeric as well as micellar detergent could be adsorbed and that a key factor in determining the rate of detergent removal was the availability of the free bead surface. Rates of detergent removal were found to be linearly related to the amount of beads even for bead concentrations above those sufficient to remove all the detergent initially present. Adsorptive capacity of phospholipids onto Bio-Beads SM2 was also analyzed and found to be much smaller (2 mg lipid per g of wet beads) than that of Triton X-100 (185 mg TX 100 per g of wet beads). A more general aspect of this work was that the use of Bio-Beads SM2 provided a convenient way for varying and controlling the time course of Triton X-100 removal. The method was further extended to the formation of liposomes from phospholipid-Triton X-100 micelles and the size of the liposomes was found to be critically dependent upon the rate of detergent removal. A general procedure was described to prepare homogeneous populations of vesicles. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy and permeability studies indicated that the liposomes thus obtained were unilamellar, relatively large and impermeable. Noteworthy, this new procedure was shown to be well suited for the reconstitution of different membrane transport proteins such as bacteriorhodopsin, Ca2(+)-ATPase and H(+)-ATPase.

Influence of cations on the blue to purple transition of bacteriorhodopsin. Comparison of Ca2+ and Hg2+ binding and their effect on the surface potential

We have investigated the effect of Ca2+ and Hg2+ binding on various properties of the blue membrane prepared by deionization of the Halobacterium halobium purple membrane. Binding of radioactive 45Ca2+ and 203Hg2+ was monitored by a filtration technique. Five high and medium affinity sites for Ca2+ and seven low affinity sites for Hg2+ were found per bacteriorhodopsin. Competitive binding was observed only for three Ca2+ and three Hg2+. Visible absorption studies indicated that Ca2+ binding could restore the purple color of bacteriorhodopsin while Hg2+ was inefficient. Hg2- could partially reverse to blue the Ca2+-regenerated purple membrane in parallel with the displacement of three Ca2+. Effects of cation binding on the surface potential of the membrane were measured by Electron Spin Resonance spectroscopy using a cationic spin-labeled amphiphile. Cations such as La3+, Ca2+, Mg2+, or Na+ strongly increased (i.e. rendered less negative) the surface potential. An univocal correlation was found between the cation-induced variation of surface potential and the extent of regeneration of the purple color. Hg2+ induced a smaller increase in surface potential than that corresponding to the effective divalent cations. This lower effect appears to be due to binding to sites not related to those of other cations.

On the molecular mechanism of the blue to purple transition of bacteriorhodopsin. UV-difference spectroscopy and electron spin resonance studies

Conformational changes in the bacteriorhodopsin molecule related to the blue to purple transition have been monitored using UV-difference spectrophotometry. Mn2+ binding to the deionized blue membrane, which restores the purple form, promotes the appearance of a difference spectrum that can be interpreted as arising from tryptophan perturbation. Similar difference spectra were found upon pH increase of the blue membrane suspensions. Such pH increase yields the deionized purple membrane and shows an apparent pK of 5.4. Binding of Hg2+ to the blue membrane does not induce any UV-difference spectrum or change the apparent pK of the transition. ESR studies of Mn2+ binding show that in the pink membrane several high and medium affinity binding sites have been converted to low affinity ones. In the NaBH4-reduced membrane, a medium affinity site has been converted to a low affinity site. Upon Mn2+ binding to the reduced membrane or pH increase, absorption changes were found in the visible region which showed a dependence upon bound Mn2+ as well as an apparent pK similar to those of the nonreduced membrane. It is proposed that the functional form of the membrane depends primarily on the deprotonated state of a control group and that cation binding only affects the pK of this deprotonation through changes in the membrane surface potential.

Monomer-oligomer equilibrium of bacteriorhodopsin in reconstituted proteoliposomes. A freeze-fracture electron microscope study

An improved freeze-fracture electron microscope procedure has been developed and applied to the study of the association of bacteriorhodopsin in large proteoliposomes reconstituted by reverse-phase evaporation with egg lecithin. Due to the improved accuracy and resolution of this procedure, intramembrane particles, the diameter of which (4.5 nm) closely matched that of bacteriorhodopsin monomer, could be observed at high lipid to protein ratios (greater than or equal to 40 w/w). At lower lipid to protein ratios, larger particles (diameter 7.5 nm) progressively appeared, resulting in bimodal particle size distributions up to a lipid to protein ratio of 1, where the large particles were the sole species present. These large particles were interpreted as corresponding to bacteriorhodopsin oligomers. Because of the large size and homogeneity of proteoliposomes, accurate particle density measurements could be performed. These confirmed the occurrence of a lipid to protein ratio-dependent bacteriorhodopsin monomer-oligomer equilibrium and further allowed us to identify the oligomer as a trimer or a tetramer. In complementary experiments, it was found that the bacteriorhodopsin monomer and oligomer had identical visible CD spectra and light-induced proton pumping rates. However, a large increase of the proton passive leak rate of proteoliposomes was found to be associated with oligomer formation. The appearance of these oligomers may be important as the first step in the formation of two-dimensional crystals of bacteriorhodopsin.

The relationship between the chromophore moiety and the cation binding sites in bacteriorhodopsin

Bleaching of the purple membrane strongly reduces the number of divalent cation binding sites as well as their affinities. Conversely, deionization of the bleached membrane drastically inhibits the chromophore regeneration. Proteolysis experiments using bromelain show that the bleached membrane has an additional cleavage site probably located at the fifth loop, whereas in the blue membrane, the C-terminal tail is no longer susceptible to proteolysis. It is suggested that there exists a close relationship between the retinal environment and one or more of the cation binding sites.

[Energy-dependent translocation of amino-phospholipids in the erythrocyte membrane]

In this review, we show how the stability of the asymmetric transverse distribution of phospholipids and the physiological role of the asymmetric distribution can be explained. Experiments with paramagnetic or fluorescent lipids enabled us to show that in fresh red blood cells, i.e. containing ATP, and in resealed ghosts containing ATP (1 mM) the amino derivatives (phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine) are selectively transported from the outer monolayer to the inner monolayer of the membranes. On the other hand, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin are not carried and diffuse spontaneously with a very long characteristic time. The ATP-dependent carrier mechanism can be inhibited by protein reacting groups (N-ethyl maleimide and ortho-vanadate), which very probably implies a transmembrane protein specific for amino phospholipids. The affinity for phosphatidylserine seems slightly higher than that for phosphatidylethanolamine. In addition we show the close parallel between the transverse distribution of phospholipids and cell shape. This leads us to suggest that the phospholipid translocation would be used to maintain the natural discoid shape of red blood cells. A possible generalisation of this mechanism to other cells and its implications for endocytosis are discussed.

Strong interactions between a spin-labeled cholesterol analog and erythrocyte proteins in the human erythrocyte membrane

We have used a spin label analog of cholesterol bearing a nitroxide on the alkyl chain (26-nor-25-doxylcholestanol) to study cholesterol-protein interactions in the human erythrocyte membrane. As judged from the ESR spectrum, the spin label is readily incorporated into the membrane when added from a concentrated ethanolic solution to a cell or ghost suspension. With intact erythrocytes or white ghosts in isotonic buffer, the ESR spectrum is a superposition of a mobile component and a strongly immobilized component (outer hyperfine splitting 61-63 G). The latter corresponds to approx. 45% of the signal, a percentage which is barely affected by varying the temperature between 5 and 37 degrees C. Removal of the cytoskeletal proteins spectrin and actin by low ionic strength treatment or of all extrinsic proteins by alkali treatment of ghosts reduces the immobilized fraction to approx. 25%. The effect of controlled proteolysis of intrinsic proteins was also tested. Pre-treatment of cells with chymotrypsin or pre-treatment of unsealed ghosts with trypsin has no effect on the ESR spectrum obtained with alkali-treated membranes. On the other hand, after chymotrypsin treatment of unsealed ghost, which reduces the band 3 protein to a 17.5 kDa membrane fragment, the strongly immobilized component is no longer observable. These data show that the cholesterol analog 26-nor-25-doxylcholestanol interacts strongly with one or several proteins of the erythrocyte membrane. That the intrinsic protein band 3 is involved is suggested by the disappearance of the immobilized fraction occurring upon chymotrypsin digestion of this protein. Our results are thus consistent with the proposal of a selective cholesterol-band 3 interaction in the erythrocyte membrane (Schubert, D. and Boss, K. (1982) FEBS Lett. 150, 4-8). Our data also suggest that this interaction is influenced by cytoskeletal proteins, an effect which can be explained considering the known linking of band 3 to the erythrocyte cytoskeleton via ankyrin. Experiments have also been carried out with 3-doxylandrostanol, a more commonly used cholesterol spin-label analog. With this spin label, at all temperatures investigated, we found it impossible to demonstrate unambiguously the existence of two spectral components. It is suggested that 26-nor-25-doxylcholestanol is a better reporter of cholesterol behavior in membranes.

Asymmetric lipid fluidity in human erythrocyte membrane: new spin-label evidence

We have synthesized spin-labeled analogues of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidylethanolamine with a short beta chain (C5) bearing a doxyl group at the fourth position. When added to an erythrocyte suspension, the labels immediately incorporate in the membrane. The orientation of the spin-labels was assessed in the bilayer (i) by addition in the medium of a nonpermeant reducer (ascorbate at 5 degrees C) or (ii) by following spontaneous reduction at 37 degrees C due to the endogenous reducing agents present in the cytosol. Both techniques prove that the spin-labels are originally incorporated in the outer leaflet and redistribute differently after incubation. After a 5-h incubation at 5 degrees C, the phosphatidylcholine derivative remained in the outer layer, while the phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine derivatives were found principally in the inner leaflet. During the incubation, a small fraction of the spin-labels is hydrolyzed, particularly the phosphatidylserine derivative, presumably by an endogenous phospholipase A2. Because the hydrolyzed spin-labeled fatty acids are rejected in the aqueous phase, the spectra of the intact membrane-bound phospholipids can be obtained by an adequate spectral subtraction. The ESR spectrum corresponding to a probe in the outer leaflet indicates a more restricted motion than that associated with probes in the inner leaflet. Additional experiments have been carried out to prove that the difference in viscosity, which is likely to be due to anisotropic cholesterol distribution, is not attributable to modification of the cell morphology.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

ATP-dependent asymmetric distribution of spin-labeled phospholipids in the erythrocyte membrane: relation to shape changes

Spin-labeled analogs of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidylethanolamine have been used to study phospholipid transverse diffusion and asymmetry in the human erythrocyte membrane. Ascorbate reduction was used to assess the transbilayer distribution of the labels. All three spin-labeled phospholipids initially incorporated into the outer leaflet of the membrane. On fresh erythrocytes at 5 degrees C, the phosphatidylcholine label remained mainly in the outer leaflet. In contrast, the phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine labels underwent rapid transverse diffusion that led to their asymmetric distribution in favor of the inner leaflet. The latter effect was reversibly inhibited after ATP depletion of the erythrocytes and could be reproduced on resealed erythrocyte ghosts only if hydrolyzable Mg-ATP was included in the internal medium. It is suggested that an ATP-driven transport of amino phospholipids toward the inner leaflet could be the major cause of the phospholipid asymmetry in the erythrocyte membrane. It is also proposed that the same mechanism could explain the ATP requirement of the maintenance of the erythrocyte membrane discoid shape.

Collisions between nitrogen-14 and nitrogen-15 spin-labels. 1. Lipid-lipid interactions in model membranes

A new method is described to evaluate collision frequencies between spin-labeled molecules in membranes. This method utilizes a mixture of 14N and 15N nitroxides. The extent of spin-spin interaction between the two different isotopes can be determined by comparing experimental ESR spectra with simulated spectra. The latter are calculated by using modified Bloch equations and by assuming that the spin exchange process is the dominant broadening mechanism. A more approximate analysis is also described; it is based on the evaluation of the line broadening from the measurement of peak heights. Both analyses show that relatively low concentrations of label can be utilized: 1-5% labeled lipids in a membrane give a broadening sufficient to allow quantitation. Collision frequencies equal to or larger than 0.1 MHz can be evaluated by this method. Because of the limited overlap between 15N and 14N spectra, this method allows the investigation of the collisions between unlike molecules of very different concentration. From the collision frequencies, the topological domain explored by a probe can be inferred as well as its lateral diffusion constant. In this paper, it is shown that in spite of the low order of the chain residues near their methyl terminal, a probe linked at the omega - 2 position of an ionized stearic acid does not interact with a probe positioned near the polar region. Nevertheless the former probe, deeply embedded in the membrane, explores a larger volume. It is also shown that if the nitroxide is attached to a fatty ester, the probe "sees" evenly the whole hydrophobic region of the membrane.

Collisions between nitrogen-14 and nitrogen-15 spin-labels. 2. Investigations on the specificity of the lipid environment of rhodopsin

The method of spin-spin interactions between 15N and 14N spin-labels was used to investigate lipid-protein collision rates in reconstituted vesicles containing rhodopsin from bovine disk membranes and an equimolar mixture of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylserine. In each sample, a fraction of one of the three phospholipids was labeled with 14N spin-label while a 15N spin-labeled fatty acid was covalently linked to rhodopsin. The extent of spin-spin interaction between 15N and 14N labels was either calculated by complete spectral simulation or evaluated from the line broadening as deducted from the intensity decrease of the low-field 15N line. It was found that all three spin-labeled phospholipids utilized for these experiments can interact magnetically with the spin-labeled rhodopsin. Above 35 degrees C little difference between the three species can be detected. Calculation of the diffusion constant of the phospholipids at the boundary of rhodopsin proves that the lifetime of the phospholipids at the protein boundary is short and that no long-lived annular lipids are segregated. At temperatures below approximately 30 degrees C the spectra of the samples containing spin-labeled phosphatidylserine depend upon the presence or absence of calcium. The extent of 15N line broadening was found weaker in the presence of Ca2+ than in the presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetate. Thus Ca2+ tends to exclude phosphatidylserine from the lipid environment of rhodopsin. This observation can be attributed to the formation of specific lipid domains within the membrane, induced by Ca2+.

Canine lymphocyte subpopulations

Ten to 23% of cells in blood, lymph node and bone marrow from normal dogs formed rosettes with human erythrocytes, and 12-27% formed rosettes with erythrocyte-antibody-complement (EAC) complexes. In contrast, only 3% of thymocytes, and 1% of thoracic duct cells formed rosettes with human erythroyctes, and 0 and 15% respectively formed EAC rosettes. When peripheral blood mononuclear cells were separated by rosette sedimentation into populations depleted of, or enriched for, cells forming rosettes with human erythrocytes (H-RFC), the population depleted of H-RFC responded more vigorously to alloantigens in mixed leukocyte culture (MLC) (P < 0.01) and to the mitogens phytohemagglutinin (PHA) (P = 0.01) and concanavalin A (P = 0.01) than did the population enriched for H-RFC. Passage of peripheral blood mononuclear cells over nylon wool columns produced a nonadherent population depleted of H-RFC, EAC rosette-forming cells and cells binding surface immunoglobulin (SIg), while the adherent population was enriched for each of these markers. In 3 dogs 36%, 44% and 64% of adherent cells that formed rosettes with human erythrocytes also possessed SIg, suggesting that canine B cells form rosettes with human red cells. The nonadherent population showed a more vigorous response to alloantigens in MLC (P < 0.01) and to PHA (P < 0.05) than the adherent population, and also stimulated the growth of autologous erythroid colonies better than the adherent population (P = 0.02). A T cell rich population can thus be obtained from canine peripheral blood, but no specific marker for T cells has been identified. Specifically, the capacity to form rosettes with human red cells is not a marker for the canine T cell.

Interaction between phospholipid bilayer membranes and the polyene antibiotic amphotericin B: lipid state and cholesterol content dependence

The interaction between amphotericin B and egg yolk phosphatidylcholine, dimyristoyl (DMPC) and dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) phospholipid bilayer vesicles has been monitored by the circular dichroism (CD) spectra of amphotericin B at a 1 . 10(-5) M concentration. This method has revealed that amphotericin B may be present in a number of different forms depending on the time elapsed after the mixing, the cholesterol content of the vesicles and the vesicles' physical state. Some striking features of these CD detected species are the following: with egg yolk phosphatidylcholine and a molar cholesterol percentage lower than 25, at 25 degrees C several forms are coexistent, their amount is time-dependent; with dipalmitoyl or dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholines without cholesterol or with a cholesterol molar percentage lower than 25, in the gel state, a form different from the former appears very rapidly; with egg yolk phosphatidylcholine, DMPC and DPPC at a molar cholesterol percentage between 25 and 50 a new form is monitored, identical in the three cases and observed in the liquid crystalline state as well as in the gel state. In the case of the three phospholipids without cholesterol a definite interaction with the antibiotic is observed but with different characteristics according to the nature of lipid. With amphotericin B 'Fungizone' the same species are monitored but their appearance is much slower. Two explanations are proposed for the origin of the discrepancies between CD and electronic absorption.

Analysis of cytotoxic effector cell function in patients with leukemia or aplastic anemia before and after marrow transplantation

Cytotoxic effector cells mediating natural killing (NK), antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and lectin-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (LDCC) were studied in patients with leukemia or aplastic anemia before and/or after marrow transplantation. Before transplantation, about one-third to one-half of the patients were deficient in cytotoxic activity. In patients with leukemia, this was most likely due to large numbers of circulating blast cells diluting or replacing the effector cells. In patients with aplastic anemia there was an apparent absence of the effector cells in a proportion of the patients. After marrow transplantation, cytotoxic activity in all three systems returned to normal rapidly, by 30 days, and remained so through 100 days. However, about 20% of patients studied beyond 1 year were deficient in these functions. There were no significant associations between cytotoxic activity and important clinical parameters including infections, graft-vs-host disease, and recurrence of leukemia. Our findings do not support an immunosurveillance role for NK against leukemia after marrow transplantation. Furthermore, they point out the need for new in vitro approaches for meaningful monitoring of marrow transplant patients. Finally, our results showed a significant discordance between NK, ADCC, and LDCC activities in these immunologically perturbed individuals, indicating that either different cell populations or different cellular mechanisms are involved in these cytotoxic functions.

Analysis of cytotoxic effector cell function in patients with leukemia or aplastic anemia before and after marrow transplantation

Cytotoxic effector cells mediating natural killing (NK), antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and lectin-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (LDCC) were studied in patients with leukemia or aplastic anemia before and/or after marrow transplantation. Before transplantation, about one-third to one-half of the patients were deficient in cytotoxic activity. In patients with leukemia, this was most likely due to large numbers of circulating blast cells diluting or replacing the effector cells. In patients with aplastic anemia there was an apparent absence of the effector cells in a proportion of the patients. After marrow transplantation, cytotoxic activity in all three systems returned to normal rapidly, by 30 days, and remained so through 100 days. However, about 20% of patients studied beyond 1 year were deficient in these functions. There were no significant associations between cytotoxic activity and important clinical parameters including infections, graft-vs-host disease, and recurrence of leukemia. Our findings do not support an immunosurveillance role for NK against leukemia after marrow transplantation. Furthermore, they point out the need for new in vitro approaches for meaningful monitoring of marrow transplant patients. Finally, our results showed a significant discordance between NK, ADCC, and LDCC activities in these immunologically perturbed individuals, indicating that either different cell populations or different cellular mechanisms are involved in these cytotoxic functions.