Deuterium Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Investigation of the Effects of Proteins and Polypeptides on Hydrocarbon Chain Order in Model Membrane Systems

Deuterium Fourier-transform nuclear magnetic resonance spectra have been obtained of 1-myristoyl 2-(14,14,14-trideutero)myristoyl phosphatidylcholine bilayers at 34.1 MHz by using the quadrupole echo pulse technique. Thereby, we have investigated the effects upon the deuterated dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine bilayers of the following proteins and polypeptides: gramicidin A, bacteriophage f1 coat protein, beef brain myelin proteolipid apoprotein, cytochrome b5, and cytochrome c oxidase (ferrocytochrome c:oxygen oxidoreductase, EC 1.9.3.1). Above Tc, the transition temperature between the gel and liquid crystal phases, the quadrupole splitting of the deuterium-labeled methyl group is reduced or collapsed in the presence of protein or polypeptide. No evidence has been found for ordered ``boundary lipid.'' Below Tc, the spectra show that the hydrocarbon chains are prevented from crystallizing by the protein (or polypeptide) incorporated in the membrane. Similar disordering effects above Tc are also seen when an unsaturated lipid, 1-(16,16,16-trideutero)palmitoyl 2-palmitoleyl phosphatidylcholine is complexed with cytochrome oxidase.