Functional signal peptide reduces bilayer thickness of phosphatidylcholine liposomes.

To investigate the interaction between a signal peptide and the lipid bilayer, two kinds of peptides, L8-MS (L8=MRL 8 PLAALG, M5=KVFER) and L14-M5 (L14=MRL 14 PLAALG), were examined in membranes composed of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC). Peptides L8 and L14 are artificially designed signal sequences, and M5 is the N-terminal five residues of human lysozyme; L8 mediated effective secretion of human lysozyme in yeast, while L14 did not [Yamamoto, Y., et al. (1987) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 149, 431-436]