Effects of antimicrobial peptides on membrane dynamics: A comparison of fluorescence and NMR experiments

The intricate link between membrane lipid structure and composition and membrane structural properties in bacterial membranes

“…Biophysical techniques such as light scattering (X-ray, neutron), nuclear magnetic resonance, electron paramagnetic resonance, fluorescence, infrared and Raman spectroscopies, differential scanning calorimetry, fluorescence, electron, cryo-electronic and atomic force microscopies, ellipsometry and dual polarization interferometry, optical tweezers and micropipette aspiration have widely been used to explore the dynamic physical properties of model and native bacterial membranes. 19,56–63…”

Trichoderma harzianum Peptaibols Stimulate Plant Plasma Membrane H+-ATPase Activity

“…produce a range of peptaibols, which are linear peptides, approximately 5–21 amino acids in length. , More than 300 different peptaibols have been reported (), and, in general, they form α-helices that span the membrane and congregate into a barrel-stave pore structure with polar regions orientated toward the pore interior, creating an indiscriminate ion channel. − Besides the antibiotic activity, peptaibols have been demonstrated to be a signal molecule for fungus-growing ants to weed out pieces of their fungal garden compromised by Trichoderma spp . The peptaibol alamethicin (AlaM) is commonly used to study pore formation in membranes and serves as a molecule of choice for several biophysical studies on peptide integration into membrane systems. , Most studies employ artificial membranes, but several biological membranes are also affected by AlaM treatment . Emerging evidence suggests that plant plasma membrane (PM) heterogeneity has a pronounced effect on how peptaibols integrate into the membrane, and insight gained on model membranes does not necessarily apply to natural membranes …”

“…13 The peptaibol alamethicin (AlaM) is commonly used to study pore formation in membranes and serves as a molecule of choice for several biophysical studies on peptide integration into membrane systems. 12,14 Most studies employ artificial membranes, but several biological membranes are also affected by AlaM treatment. 15 Emerging evidence suggests that plant plasma membrane (PM) heterogeneity has a pronounced effect on how peptaibols integrate into the membrane, and insight gained on model membranes does not necessarily apply to natural membranes.…”