Human serum albumin (HSA) is a major transporter for delivering several endogenous compounds including fatty acids in vivo. Even though HSA is the primary target of fatty acid binding, the effects of cationic lipid on protein stability and conformation have not been investigated. The aim of this study was to examine the interaction of human serum albumin (HSA) with helper lipids--cholesterol (Chol) and dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE)--and with cationic lipids--dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) and 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP), at physiological conditions, using constant protein concentration and various lipid contents. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), circular dichroism (CD), and fluorescence spectroscopic methods were used to analyze the lipid binding mode, the binding constant, and the effects of lipid interaction on HSA stability and conformation. Structural analysis showed that cholesterol and DOPE (helper lipids) interact mainly with HSA polypeptide polar groups and via hydrophobic moieties. Hydrophobic interactions dominate the binding of cationic lipids to HSA. The number of bound lipids (n) calculated was 1.22 (cholesterol), 1.82 (DDAB), 1.76 (DOPE), and 1.56 (DOTAP). The overall binding constants estimated were KChol=2.3 (+/-0.50)x10(3) M(-1), KDDAB=8.9 (+/-0.95)x10(3) M(-1), KDOTAP=9.1 (+/-0.90)x10(3) M(-1), and KDOPE=4.7 (+/-0.70)x10(3) M(-1). HSA conformation was stabilized by cholesterol and DOPE with a slight increase of protein alpha-helical structures, while DOTAP and DDAB induced an important (alpha-->beta) transition, suggesting a partial protein unfolding.

There are several lipid binding sites on serum albumins. The aim of this study was to examine the binding of bovine serum albumin (BSA) to cholesterol (Chol), 1,2-dioleoyl-3-(trimethylammonium)propane (DOTAP), (dioctadecyldimethyl)ammonium bromide (DDAB), and dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE), at physiological conditions, using constant protein concentration and various lipid contents. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence spectroscopic methods were used to analyze the lipid binding mode, the binding constant, and the effects of lipid complexation on BSA stability and conformation. Structural analysis showed that lipids bind BSA via both hydrophilic and hydrophobic contacts with overall binding constants of K(Chol) = (1.12 +/- 0.40) x 10(3) M(-1), K(DDAB) = (1.50 +/- 0.50) x 10(3) M(-1), K(DOTAP) = (2.45 +/- 0.80) x 10(3) M(-1), and K(DOPE) = (1.35 +/- 0.60) x 10(3) M(-1). The numbers of bound lipid (n) were 1.1 (cholesterol), 1.28 (DDAB), 1.02 (DOPE), and 1.21 (DOTAP) in these lipid-BSA complexes. DDAB and DOTAP induced major alterations of BSA conformation, causing a partial protein unfolding, while cholesterol and DOPE stabilized protein secondary structure.

Background: Biodiesels are methyl esters of fatty acids that are usually produced by base catalyzed transesterification of triacylglyerol with methanol. Some lipase enzymes are effective catalysts for biodiesel synthesis and have many potential advantages over traditional base or acid catalyzed transesterification. Natural lipases are often rapidly inactivated by the high methanol concentrations used for biodiesel synthesis, however, limiting their practical use. The lipase from Proteus mirabilis is a particularly promising catalyst for biodiesel synthesis as it produces high yields of methyl esters even in the presence of large amounts of water and expresses very well in Escherichia coli. However, since the Proteus mirabilis lipase is only moderately stable and methanol tolerant, these properties need to be improved before the enzyme can be used industrially. Results: We employed directed evolution, resulting in a Proteus mirabilis lipase variant with 13 mutations, which we call Dieselzyme 4. Dieselzyme 4 has greatly improved thermal stability, with a 30-fold increase in the halfinactivation time at 50°C relative to the wild-type enzyme. The evolved enzyme also has dramatically increased methanol tolerance, showing a 50-fold longer half-inactivation time in 50% aqueous methanol. The immobilized Dieselzyme 4 enzyme retains the ability to synthesize biodiesel and has improved longevity over wild-type or the industrially used Brukholderia cepacia lipase during many cycles of biodiesel synthesis. A crystal structure of Dieselzyme 4 reveals additional hydrogen bonds and salt bridges in Dieselzyme 4 compared to the wild-type enzyme, suggesting that polar interactions may become particularly stabilizing in the reduced dielectric environment of the oil and methanol mixture used for biodiesel synthesis. Conclusions: Directed evolution was used to produce a stable lipase, Dieselzyme 4, which could be immobilized and re-used for biodiesel synthesis. Dieselzyme 4 outperforms the industrially used lipase from Burkholderia cepacia and provides a platform for still further evolution of desirable biodiesel production properties.

Complexes of cationic liposomes with DNA are promising tools to deliver genetic information into cells for gene therapy and vaccines. Electrostatic interaction is thought to be the major force in lipid–DNA interaction, while lipid-base binding and the stability of cationic lipid–DNA complexes have been the subject of more debate in recent years. The aim of this study was to examine the complexation of calf-thymus DNA with cholesterol (Chol), 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP), dioctadecyldimethylammoniumbromide (DDAB) and dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE), at physiological condition, using constant DNA concentration and various lipid contents. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), UV-visible, circular dichroism spectroscopic methods and atomic force microscopy were used to analyse lipid-binding site, the binding constant and the effects of lipid interaction on DNA stability and conformation. Structural analysis showed a strong lipid–DNA interaction via major and minor grooves and the backbone phosphate group with overall binding constants of KChol = 1.4 (±0.5) × 104 M−1, KDDAB = 2.4 (±0.80) × 104 M−1, KDOTAP = 3.1 (±0.90) × 104 M−1 and KDOPE = 1.45 (± 0.60) × 104 M−1. The order of stability of lipid–DNA complexation is DOTAP>DDAB>DOPE>Chol. Hydrophobic interactions between lipid aliphatic tails and DNA were observed. Chol and DOPE induced a partial B to A-DNA conformational transition, while a partial B to C-DNA alteration occurred for DDAB and DOTAP at high lipid concentrations. DNA aggregation was observed at high lipid content.