Imaging interactions of cationic antimicrobial peptides with model lipid monolayers using X-ray spectromicroscopy

Eur Biophys J. 2011 Jun;40(6):805-10. doi: 10.1007/s00249-011-0690-7. Epub 2011 Mar 5.

Abstract

The interaction of antimicrobial peptide anoplin with 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-[phospho-rac-(1-glycerol)] lipid monolayers was imaged with atomic force microscopy, scanning transmission X-ray microscopy, and X-ray photoemission electron microscopy. X-ray absorption spectromicroscopy of the surface revealed the domains of the phase-segregated surface to be composed of 98(±5)% lipid while the matrix consisted of a ~50:50 lipid-peptide mixture. We show X-ray spectromicroscopy to be a valuable quantitative tool for label-free imaging of lipid monolayers with antimicrobial peptides at a lateral spatial resolution below 80 nm.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Infective Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Infective Agents / metabolism
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / chemistry
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / metabolism*
  • Lipid Bilayers / chemistry
  • Lipid Bilayers / metabolism*
  • Microscopy, Atomic Force / methods
  • Models, Biological*
  • Phosphatidylglycerols / chemistry
  • Phosphatidylglycerols / metabolism*
  • X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy / methods*

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Phosphatidylglycerols
  • 1,2-dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol