Effect of osmotic pressure on pore formation in lipid bilayers by the antimicrobial peptide magainin 2.

Osmotic pressure (Π) induces membrane tension in cells and lipid vesicles, which may affect the activity of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) by an unknown mechanism. We recently quantitated the membrane tension of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) due to Π under physiological conditions. Here, we applied this method to examine the effect of Π on the interaction of the AMP magainin 2 (Mag) with single GUVs. Under low Π values, Mag induced the formation of nanometer-scale pores, through which water-soluble fluorescent probe AF488 permeates across the membrane. The rate constant for Mag-induced pore formation (kp) increased with increasing Π. It has been proposed that the membrane tension in the GUV inner leaflet (σin) caused by Mag binding to the outer leaflet plays a vital role in Mag-induced pore formation. During the interactions between Mag and GUVs under Π, the σin increases due to Π, thereby increasing kp. The relationship between the kp and the total σin due to Π and Mag agreed with that without Π. In contrast, Mag induced rupture of a subset of GUVs under higher Π. Using fluorescence microscopy with a high-speed camera, the GUV rupture process was revealed. First, a small micrometer-scale pore was observed in individual GUVs. Then, the pore radius increased within ∼100 ms without changing the GUV diameter and concomitantly the thickness of the membrane at the pore rim increased, and finally the GUV transformed into a membrane aggregate. Based on these results, we discussed the effect of Π on Mag-induced damage of GUV membranes.

Membrane Tension in Negatively Charged Lipid Bilayers in a Buffer under Osmotic Pressure.

Osmotic pressure (Π) induces membrane tension in cell membranes and the lipid bilayers of vesicles and plays an important role in the functions and physical properties of these membranes. We recently developed a method to determine quantitatively the membrane tension of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) under Π and applied it to GUVs comprising electrically neutral dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC). Here, we examined the effect of Π on GUVs composed of DOPC and negatively charged dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol (DOPG) in a buffer containing a physiological concentration of ions. First, we examined the rate constant, kr, for constant tension (σex)-induced rupture of DOPG/DOPC (4/6)-GUVs under Π and obtained the dependence of kr on σex in GUVs for various values of Π. Comparing this dependence in the absence of Π provided values for membrane tension due to Π, σosm, which agree with the theoretical values within the experimental error. The values of σosm for DOPG/DOPC-GUVs were smaller than those for DOPC-GUVs under the same Π. Two factors, that is, the solute concentration in a GUV suspension and the elastic modulus of the GUV membrane, can reasonably explain this difference based on the theory of σosm. We also examined the effect of Π on the rate constant, kFF, for the transbilayer movement of lipid molecules in single GUVs. The values of kFF increased with increasing Π, indicating that kFF increased with σosm. This result supports the existence of prepores in stretched lipid bilayers. Based on these results, we discuss the membrane tension of DOPG/DOPC-GUVs under Π.

Role of Membrane Potential on Entry of Cell-Penetrating Peptide Transportan 10 into Single Vesicles.

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) can translocate across plasma membranes to enter the cytosol of eukaryotic cells without decreasing cell viability. We revealed the mechanism underlying this translocation by examining the effect of membrane potential, φm, on the entry of a CPP, transportan 10 (TP10), into the lumen of single giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). For this purpose, we used the single GUV method to detect the entry of carboxyfluorescein (CF)-labeled TP10 (CF-TP10) into the lumen of single GUVs. First, we used various K+ concentration differences to apply different negative membrane potentials on single GUVs containing gramicidin A in their membrane and confirmed these potentials using the φm-sensitive fluorescent probe 3,3'-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodine. The fluorescence intensity of the GUV membranes (i.e., the rim intensity) due to 3,3'-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodine increased with |φm| up to 118 mV, and its dependence on |φm| less than 28 mV agreed with a theoretical estimation (i.e., the dye concentration in the inner leaflet of a GUV is larger than that in the outer leaflet according to the Boltzmann distribution). We then examined the effect of φm on the entry of CF-TP10 into GUVs using single GUVs containing small GUVs or large unilamellar vesicles inside the mother GUV lumen. We found that CF-TP10 entered the GUV lumen without pore formation and the rate of entry of CF-TP10 into the GUV lumen, Ventry, increased with an increase in |φm|. The rim intensity due to CF-TP10 increased with an increase in |φm|, indicating that the CF-TP10 concentration in the inner leaflet of the GUV increased with |φm|. These results indicate that the φm-induced elevation in Ventry can be explained by the increase in CF-TP10 concentration in the inner leaflet with |φm|. We discuss the mechanism underlying this effect of membrane potential based on the pre-pore model of the translocation of CF-TP10 across a GUV membrane.

Effect of Transmembrane Asymmetric Distribution of Lipids and Peptides on Lipid Bilayers.

The transbilayer asymmetry of the biomembrane is generated due to the differences in lipid and protein compositions between two leaflets, which plays important roles in physiological functions. However, transbilayer asymmetry can also be originated due to a nonequal number of lipids or proteins in each leaflet, which has not been well recognized. Therefore, to shed light on this field, here we generated theoretical models for the effect of transbilayer asymmetry originated from the differences in the number of lipids and peptides in each leaflet on the state of lipid bilayers. The first model described the effect of asymmetric lipid distribution on the state of lipid bilayers. We obtained theoretical equations for the fractional change in area per lipid in both leaflets as a function of the ratio of the number of lipids in each leaflet, which agreed with the molecular dynamics simulation results quantitatively. Results indicated that tensions in both leaflets are opposite in direction, and their magnitude is the same. We also performed experiments on the effect of lipid insertion in the outer leaflet on the fractional change in area per lipid. These results agreed quantitatively with the values predicted by the above model. The second model described the effect of asymmetric distribution of peptides on the state of lipid bilayers. We obtained theoretical equations for the area per lipid in both leaflets as a function of the surface concentration of peptides located only in the outer leaflet, which agreed with the results of the antimicrobial peptide magainin 2-induced area change.

The role of membrane tension in the action of antimicrobial peptides and cell-penetrating peptides in biomembranes.

For antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with antimicrobial and bactericidal activities and cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) with activity to permeate through plasma membrane, their interactions with lipid bilayer region in plasma membrane play important roles in these functions. However, the elementary processes and mechanisms of their functions have not been clear. The single giant unilamellar vesicle (GUV) method has revealed the details of elementary processes of interaction of some AMPs and CPPs with lipid vesicles. In this review, we summarize the mode of action of AMPs such as magainin 2 (Mag) and CPPs such as transportan 10 (TP10), revealed by the single GUV methods, and especially we focus on the role of membrane tension in actions of Mag and TP10 and the mechanisms of their actions. First, we explain the characteristics of the single GUV method briefly. Next, we summarize the recent view on the effect of tension on physical properties of lipid bilayers and describe the role of tension in actions of Mag and TP10. Some experimental results indicate that Mag-induced pore is a stretch-activated pore. The effect of packing of transbilayer asymmetric lipid on Mag-induced pore formation is described. On the other hand, entry of fluorescent dye, carboxyfluorescein (CF)-labeled TP10 (i.e., CF-TP10), into single GUVs without pore formation is affected by tension and high concentration of cholesterol. Pre-pore model for translocation of CF-TP10 across lipid bilayer is described. The experimental methods and their analysis described here are useful for investigation of functions of the other types of AMPs, CPPs, and proteins.

Effect of membrane tension on transbilayer movement of lipids.

The stretching of plasma membranes of cells and lipid bilayers of vesicles affects the physical properties of the membrane as well as the functions of proteins/peptides in the membranes. Here, we examined the effect of membrane tension on the rate constant of the transbilayer movement (kFF) of fluorescent probe-labeled lipids using a new method. Specifically, we recently reported [Hasan et al., Langmuir 34, 3349 (2018)] the development of a technique that employs giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) with asymmetric lipid compositions in two monolayers. In the present work, we found that the kFF greatly increased with tension without leakage of water-soluble fluorescent probes from the GUV lumen (i.e., without the formation of pores in the GUV membrane). We discussed the plausible mechanisms for the effect of tension on the transbilayer movement of lipids. As one of the mechanisms, we hypothesized that the transbilayer movement of lipids occurs through the lateral diffusion of lipids in the walls of hydrophilic pre-pores.