A Coiled-Coil Peptide Shaping Lipid Bilayers upon Fusion.

ABSTRACT: A system based on two designed peptides, namely the cationic peptide K, (KIAALKE)₃, and its complementary anionic counterpart called peptide E, (EIAALEK)₃, has been used as a minimal model for membrane fusion, inspired by SNARE proteins. Although the fact that docking of separate vesicle populations via the formation of a dimeric E/K coiled-coil complex can be rationalized, the reasons for the peptides promoting fusion of vesicles cannot be fully explained. Therefore it is of significant interest to determine how the peptides aid in overcoming energetic barriers during lipid rearrangements leading to fusion. In this study, investigations of the peptides' interactions with neutral PC/PE/cholesterol membranes by fluorescence spectroscopy show that tryptophan-labeled K∗

SUBMITTER: Rabe M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5113151 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature