muramidase and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine

The tear film is a thin multilayered structure covering the cornea. Its outermost layer is a lipid film underneath of which resides on an aqueous layer. This tear film lipid layer (TFLL) is itself a complex structure, formed by both polar and nonpolar lipids. It was recently suggested that due to tear film dynamics, TFLL contains inhomogeneities in the form of polar lipid aggregates. The aqueous phase of tear film contains lachrymal-origin proteins, whereby lysozyme is the most abundant. These proteins can alter TFLL properties, mainly by reducing its surface tension. However, a detailed nature of protein-lipid interactions in tear film is not known. We investigate the interactions of lysozyme with TFLL in molecular details by employing coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. We demonstrate that lysozyme, due to lateral restructuring of TFLL, is able to penetrate the tear lipid film embedded in inverse micellar aggregates.

Topics: Adsorption; Cholesterol Esters; Humans; Kinetics; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Muramidase; Phosphatidylcholines; Phosphatidylethanolamines; Sphingomyelins; Sulfoglycosphingolipids; Surface Tension; Tears; Thermodynamics; Triolein; Water

A simple procedure for rapidly measuring lipid:protein ratios and detergent concentrations at different stages of the solubilization, purification and crystallization of membrane proteins has been developed. Fourier-transform infrared spectra recorded from 10 micro l aliquots of solution using a single-bounce diamond-attenuated total reflectance apparatus exhibit characteristic bands arising from the vibrations of lipid, protein and detergent. Lipid:protein molar ratios as low as 5:1 (for a protein with a molecular weight of 300 kDa) are determined by comparing the ratio of the integrated intensity of the lipid ester carbonyl band near 1740 cm(-1) with the protein amide I band near 1650 cm(-1). Detergent concentrations at levels well below the critical micellar concentration of most detergents are determined by comparing the integrated intensities of the detergent vibrations, particularly in the 1200-1000 cm(-1) region, with a standard curve. Protein amide I band-shape analysis provides insight into the effects of detergents on protein secondary structure. The importance of monitoring detergent concentration changes during simple procedures, such as the concentration of a membrane protein by ultrafiltration, is demonstrated. This analytical tool has been used to rapidly establish protocols for minimizing lipid and detergent levels in solubilized membrane-protein samples.

Topics: Amides; Crystallization; Filtration; Membrane Proteins; Micelles; Muramidase; Phosphatidylcholines; Protein Structure, Secondary; Solubility; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Surface-Active Agents