Conformational and ion-binding properties of cyclolinopeptide A isolated from linseed.

The conformation of the cyclic nonapeptide from linseed, cyclolinopeptide A in methanol and in acetonitrile has been elucidated by one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance. The molecule is folded in a ß-turn conformation. Cyclolinopeptide A interacts and weakly complexes with Tb3+ (a Ca2+ mimic ion) with the metal ion positioned proximally to the Phe residue, but with no substantial structural alteration upon metal binding. Cyclolinopeptide A is also seen to aid the translocation of Pr3+ (another Ca2+ mimic) across unilamellar liposomes. However, cyclolinopeptide A does not phase transfer or act as an ionophore of calcium ion myself. Experiments using lanthanide ions thus do not necessarily indicate any ionophoretic ability of the complexone towards calcium ions.

Mechanisms of transmembrane cation transport studied by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Several molecules like ionophores, vitamins, ion-binding cyclic peptides, acidic phospholipids, surfactants are known to expose the inner side of vesicles, to the externally added cations. Whereas ionophores and certain other systems bring about these changes by a selective transport (influx) of the cation by specialized mechanisms known as the carrier and channel mechanism, other systems cause lysis and vesicle fusion. These systems have been successfully studied using 1H,31 P and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy after the demonstration, fifteen years ago, of the ability of paramagnetic lanthanide ions to distinguish the inside of the vesicle from the outside. The results of these ‘nuclear magnetic resonance kinetics’ experiments are reviewed.

Location of valinomycin in lipid vesicles.

The location of the cyclododecadepsipeptide, valinomycin in vesicles formed from two synthetic lipids is studied by differential scanning calorimetry, spin-label partitioning electron paramagnetic resonance and [1H]-nuclear magnetic resonance. The results show that valinomycin is located near the head group region of dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline vesicles and in the hydrophobic core of the dimyristoyl phosphatidyl choline vesicles in the liquid crystalline phase.