Calorimetry of tetraether lipids from Thermoplasma acidophilum: Incorporation of alamethicin, melittin, valinomycin, and nonactin

Abstract The development and application of model membrane systems on the basis of tetraether lipids from Thermoplasma acidophilum has been proposed. In this respect incorporation of membrane proteins and ionophores is indispensable and is demonstrated in the case of alamethicin, melittin, nonactin, and valinomycin by calorimetry. Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and dihexadecylmaltosylglycerol (DHMG) were chosen for comparison. Melittin and alamethicin prove to broaden the lipid phase transition and to reduce the melting temperature T m and enthalpy change (Δ H ) of the main phospholipid from T. acidophilum (MPL) and DPPC. The decrease in T m , however, is more pronounced in DPPC than in MPL. Valinomycin shows only a marginal effect on the temperature and width of the transition; Δ H is reduced in MPL and remains constant in DPPC and DHMG. With nonactin the phase transition of DPPC is quenched, and Δ H and the half-height width are increased. DHMG is affected to a lesser extent and MPL only marginally. The four ionophores exhibit different modulation of the phase transition behavior of the various lipids as expected from their varying molecular structures. Thus, the integral membrane protein alamethicin, the peripheral protein melittin, valinomycin, and nonactin interact primarily with lipid head groups and are readily incorporated into the tetraether lipid structures.