Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 3, 2026

Single-molecule Super-resolution Imaging of Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate in the Plasma Membrane with Novel Fluorescent Probes
Published on: October 15, 2016
Deciphering the role of individual acyl chains in the interaction network between phosphatidylserines and a
Florence Mousson1, Yves-Marie Coïc, Françoise Baleux
1Service de Biophysique des Fonctions Membranaires, CEA DSV/DBJC and URA CNRS 2096, Centre d'Etudes de Saclay, 91191 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France.
Abstract:
PMP1 is a small single-spanning membrane protein functioning as a regulatory subunit of the yeast plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase. This protein forms a unique helix and exhibits a positively charged cytoplasmic domain that is able to specifically segregate phosphatidylserines (PSs). A marked groove formed at the helix surface is thought to play a major role in the related lipid-protein interaction network. Mutational analysis and (1)H NMR experiments were therefore performed on a synthetic PMP1 fragment using DPC-d(38) micelles as a membrane-like environment, in the presence of small amounts of POPS. A mutation designed for altering the helix groove was shown to disfavor the POPS binding specificity as much as that affecting the electrostatic interaction network. From POPS titration experiments monitored by a full set of one- and two-dimensional NOESY spectra, the association between the phospholipids and the PMP1 peptide has been followed. Our data reveal that the clustering of POPS molecules is promoted from a stabilized framework obtained by coupling the PMP1 helix groove to a POPS sn-2 chain. To our knowledge, the NOE-based titration plots displayed in this report constitute the first NMR data that directly distinguish the role of the sn-1 and sn-2 acyl chains in a lipid-protein interaction. The results are discussed while taking into account our accurate knowledge of the yeast plasma membrane composition and its ability to form functional lipid rafts.
Related Concept Videos
Fluid Mosaic Model
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer
Lipids as Anchors
The carboxy-terminal of most of the prenylated proteins, such as Ras proteins, contains the...
Phosphoinositides and PIPs
Different phosphoinositides are synthesized and recruited on the cytosolic face of the plasma membrane. The localization of specific phosphoinositides concentrated in separate membrane...
Synthesis of Phosphatidylcholine in the ER Membrane
The major components of all eukaryotic cell...
Assembly of the Lipid Bilayer in the ER
A large chunk of any biological membrane is composed of phospholipids. These lipids have a heterogeneous distribution across different subcellular organelles and even between...

