Local polarity and hydrogen bonding inside the Sec14p phospholipid-binding cavity: high-field multi-frequency electron paramagnetic resonance studies

Biophys J. 2007 May 15;92(10):3686-95. doi: 10.1529/biophysj.106.097899. Epub 2007 Feb 26.

Abstract

Sec14p promotes the energy-independent transfer of either phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) or phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) between lipid bilayers in vitro and represents the major PtdIns/PtdCho transfer protein in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Herein, we employ multi-frequency high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) to analyze the electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding microenvironments for series of doxyl-labeled PtdCho molecules bound by Sec14p in a soluble protein-PtdCho complex. A structurally similar compound, 5-doxyl stearic acid dissolved in a series of solvents, was used for experimental calibration. The experiments yielded two-component rigid limit 130- and 220-GHz EPR spectra with excellent resolution in the gx region. Those components were assigned to hydrogen-bonded and nonhydrogen-bonded nitroxide species. Partially resolved 130-GHz EPR spectra from n-doxyl-PtdCho bound to Sec14p were analyzed using this two-component model and allowed quantification of two parameters. First, the fraction of hydrogen-bonded nitroxide species for each n-doxyl-PtdCho was calculated. Second, the proticity profile along the phospholipid-binding cavity of Sec14p was characterized. The data suggest the polarity gradient inside the Sec14p cavity is a significant contributor to the driving molecular forces for extracting a phospholipid from the bilayer. Finally, the enhanced g-factor resolution of EPR at 130 and 220 GHz provides researchers with a spectroscopic tool to deconvolute two major contributions to the x-component of the nitroxide g-matrix: hydrogen-bond formation and local electrostatic effects.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Binding Sites
  • Computer Simulation
  • Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy / methods*
  • Hydrogen Bonding
  • Models, Chemical*
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Phospholipid Transfer Proteins / chemistry*
  • Phospholipids / chemistry*
  • Protein Binding
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / chemistry*
  • Solvents / chemistry*
  • Static Electricity

Substances

  • Phospholipid Transfer Proteins
  • Phospholipids
  • SEC14 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Solvents