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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Unraveling Entropic Rate Acceleration Induced by Solvent Dynamics in Membrane Enzymes
Published on: January 16, 2016
Membrane viscosity is a major modulating factor of the enterocin CRL35 activity
Carlos J Minahk1, Lucila Saavedra, Fernando Sesma
1Departamento de Bioquímica de la Nutrición, Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas- Universidad Nacional de Tucumán), 4000 San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
Abstract:
Enterocin CRL35 activity is deeply influenced by the membrane viscosity as could be demonstrated performing determinations of the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) at different temperatures and analyzing the membrane viscosity in these cells as well as in resistant bacteria. In all the cases, bacteriocin activity was linked to higher levels of viscosity. This finding was confirmed studying the interaction of enterocin CRL35 with liposomes composed of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine: dimyristoyl phosphatidylglycerol (9:1) in both gel and liquid-crystalline phases. It could be establish, from peptide insertion analysis following the tryptophan fluorescence and microviscosity experiments that this peptide is able to interact more efficiently with membranes having a more structured hydrophobic core.
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