Membrane Lipid-Polypeptide Molecular Associations in Non Aqueous Solvent. Effect of Phosphatidylcholine Concentration and Temperature and their Influence on the Gramicidin a Dimer-Monomer Conformational Equilibrium

Abstract The use of an Ultrastyragel 500 A column for the study of interactions between phosphatidylcholine and gramicidin A in tetra-hydrofuran is described. Analysis of vacant peak has allowed to establish the influence that eluent lipid composition, concentration of injected gramicidin and temperature have on the interaction. At 20[ddot] C, for the assayed phospholipid concentration range (0.04 to 0.14 %, w/v), the lipid/polypeptide molar binding ratio, BR, varies from 1.3 to 6.9. An increase in temperature from 20 to 40[ddot] C causes a decrease in BR of about 20 %. On the other hand, the interaction releases some of the water bound to the lipid polar head, suggesting that the binding i…