Decoding the membrane activity of the cyclotide kalata B1: the importance of phosphatidylethanolamine phospholipids and lipid organization on hemolytic and anti-HIV activities.

ABSTRACT: Cyclotides, a large family of cyclic peptides from plants, have a broad range of biological activities, including insecticidal, cytotoxic, and anti-HIV activities. In all of these activities, cell membranes seem likely to be the primary target for cyclotides. However, the mechanistic role of lipid membranes in the activity of cyclotides remains unclear. To determine the role of lipid organization in the activity of the prototypic cyclotide, kalata B1 (kB1), and synthetic analogs, their bioactivities and affinities for model membranes were evaluated. We found that the bioactivity of kB1 is dependent on the lipid composition of target cell membranes. In particular, the activity of kB1 requires specific interactions with phospholipids containing phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) headgroups but is

SUBMITTER: Henriques ST 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3129204 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature