| Abstract
| - To evaluate bicelles as a model membrane system, we examined the morphological changes of bicellesinduced by the membrane-lytic peptide melittin. 31P NMR and dynamic light scattering experimentsshowed that melittin irreversibly disrupted the disk-shaped structure of bicelles and that the disruptedbicelles form giant spherical assemblies above the gel-to-liquid-crystalline transition temperature (Tm =24 °C). The melittin-induced disruption of bicelles was suppressed by the addition of cholesterol, suggestingthat cholesterol effectively improved the stability of the bicelle membranes in the same manner as invesicles. Furthermore, the location of bicelle-bound melittin and its role in bicelle assembly are also discussed.
|
