Interaction between glycophorin and phospholipids in recombined systems

Both the MN-glycoprotein from human erythrocytes and the hydrophobic fragment from the protein isolated with trypsin treatment, T(is), have been recombined with egg phosphatidylcholine in bilayers at various phospholipid/protein ratios. In order to investigate the effect of the protein on the phospholipid headgroups, 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectra were obtained with the MN-glycoprotein recombined with egg phosphtidylcholine, which revealed two classes of phospholipid enviroments, one immobilized and one not immobilized. Electron spin resonance (ESR) of fatty acid methyl ester spin labels provided supporting evidence. Computer analysis of the ESR spectra indicate that 4–5 moles of phospholipid are immobilized per mole of protein over a wide range of lipid-to-protein ratios. The immobilization of the phospholipids appears mediated by both the polar headgroups and the hydrocarbon tails of the phospholipid.