Effect of Electrostatic Interactions on Phase Stability of Cubic Phases of Biomembranes

We investigated effect of electrostatic interactions due to surfacecharges on structures and stability of cubic phases of monoolein (MO)membrane using the small-angle X-ray scattering method. Firstly, wechanged the surface charge density of the membrane by usingdioleoylphosphatidic acid (DOPA). As increasing DOPA concentration in themembrane at 30 wt % lipid concentration, a Q224 to Q229 phasetransition occurred at 0.6 mol % DOPA, and at and above 25 mol %, DOPA/MOmembranes were in the Lα phase. NaCl in the bulk phase reduced theeffect of DOPA. These results indicate that as the electrostaticinteractions increase, the most stable phase changes as follows: Q224⇒ Q229 ⇒ Lα. The increase in DOPAconcentration reduced the absolute value of spontaneous curvature of themembrane, | H0 |. Secondly, we changed the surface charge of themembrane by adding a de novo designed peptide, which has netpositive charges and a binding site on the electrically neutral membraneinterface. The peptide-1 (WLFLLKKK) induced a Q224 to Q229phase transition in the MO membrane at low peptide concentration. As NaClconcentration increases, the MO/peptide-1 membrane changed from Q229to Q224 phase. The increase in peptide-1 concentration reduced |H0 |. Based on these results, the stability of the cubic phases and themechanism of phase transition between cubic phase and Lα phase arediscussed.