Fluorescence Detection
of Lipid-Induced Oligomeric
Intermediates Involved in Lysozyme “Amyloid-Like” Fiber
Formation Driven by Anionic Membranes
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Abstract
Recent findings implicate that “amyloid-like”
fiber
formation by several non-amyloidogenic proteins/peptides can be triggered
by negatively charged lipid membranes. In order to elucidate the factors
that govern the formation of these structures, the interaction of
lysozyme with phosphatidylserine-containing lipid vesicles was studied
by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements. Three
consecutive stages in the interaction of Alexa488-fluorescently labeled
lysozyme (Lz-A488) with acidic lipid vesicles were identified in ensemble
average measurements. The variation of the mean fluorescence lifetime
of Lz-A488 as a function of the surface coverage of the liposomes
was quantitatively described by a cooperative partition model that
assumes that monomeric lysozyme molecules partition into the bilayer
surface and reversibly assemble into oligomers with <i>k</i> subunits (<i>k</i> ≥ 6). The global fit to the
experimental data covering a wide range of experimental conditions
was performed by taking into account electrostatic effects by means
of the Gouy–Chapman theory using a single self-consistent pair
of parameters (aggregation constant and stoichiometry). The lipid–protein
supramolecular assemblies formed at a low lipid/protein molar ratio
were further characterized by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy
at the single-fiber level, which reported that quenched oligomers
are the predominant species in these structures