The Surfactant Peptide KL4 Sequence is Inserted with a Transmembrane Orientation into the Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane

Overview

Journal Biophys J

Publisher Cell Press

Specialty Biophysics

Date 2008 Jul 16

PMID 18621816

Citations 18

Authors

Luis Martinez-Gil

Jesus Perez-Gil

Ismael Mingarro

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Surfactant protein B (SP-B) is an essential component of pulmonary surfactant. Synthetic surfactant peptide KL(4), a peptide based on a C-terminal amphipathic helical region of human SP-B, efficiently mimics some functional properties of SP-B and is included in therapeutic surfactant preparations used in trials to treat respiratory distress syndrome. The membrane orientation of this peptide is controversial. We used an in vitro transcription-translation system to study the insertion of hydrophobic sequences into microsomal membranes, and showed that the KL(4) sequence integrates efficiently with a transmembrane orientation despite the presence of intermittent lysines throughout the sequence. In contrast, the precise sequence of the C-terminal SP-B amphipathic region failed to integrate, indicating a nontransmembrane orientation. Differences in the membrane insertion between KL(4) and the SP-B-inspiring sequence match predictions from calculated free energies of insertion of the two sequences into membranes.

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