Regular paper
Fusogenic activity of δ-haemolysin from Staphylococcus aureus in phospholipid vesicles in the liquid-crystalline phase

https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-2736(86)90253-1Get rights and content

Abstract

A study has been conducted of the interaction of the lytic toxin δ-haemolysin with vesicles of phospholipid, using electron microscopy, fluorescence depolarisation and excimer fluorescence. The peptide is shown to be a fusogen towards phosphatidylcholine vesicles in fluid phases. In the presence of gel phase lipid, fusion between fluid and gel phases is not seen. Fluid phase lipid vesicles are fused together to form large multilamellar structures, and initial vesicle size does not appear to be important since small unilamellar vesicles and large unilamellar vesicles are similarly affected. Fusogenic activity of δ-haemolysin is compared to that of melittin. The former is a progressive fusogen for fluid phase lipid, while the latter causes vesicle fusion in a manner related to occurrence of a lipid phase transition.

References (16)

  • J.E. Fitton et al.

    FEBS Lett.

    (1980)
  • J.E. Fitton

    FEBS Lett.

    (1981)
  • C.R. Dawson et al.

    Biochim. Biophys. Acta

    (1978)
  • S. Georghiou et al.

    Biochim. Biophys. Acta

    (1981)
  • A.F. Drake et al.

    Biochim. Biophys. Acta

    (1979)
  • Y.P. Yianni et al.

    Biochim. Biophys. Acta

    (1986)
  • C.G. Morgan et al.

    Biochim. Biophys. Acta

    (1982)
  • C.G. Morgan et al.

    Biochim. Biophys. Acta

    (1983)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (10)

  • The biophysics of peptide models of ion channels

    1991, Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology
View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text