Importance of direct interactions with lipids for the function of the mechanosensitive channel MscL

We have studied the effects of lipid structure on the function of the mechanosensitive channel of large conductance (MscL) from Escherichia coli to determine whether effects follow from direct interaction between the lipids and protein or whether they follow indirectly from changes in the curvature stress in the membrane. The G22C mutant of MscL was reconstituted into sealed vesicles containing the fluorescent molecule calcein, and the release of calcein from the vesicles was measured following opening of the channel by reaction with [2-(triethylammonium)ethyl] methanethiosulfonate (MTSET), which introduces five positive charges into the region of the pore constriction. The presence of anionic lipids in the vesicle membrane changed the rates and amplitudes of calcein release, the effects not correlating with calculated changes in lipid spontaneous curvature. Mutation of charged residues in the Arg-104, Lys-105, Lys-106 cluster removed high-affinity binding of anionic lipids to MscL, and the presence of anionic lipid no longer affected calcein flux through MscL. Changing the zwitterionic lipid from phosphatidylcholine to phosphatidylethanolamine resulted in a large decrease in the rate of calcein release, the change in rate varying linearly with lipid composition, as expected if spontaneous curvature affected the rate of release. However, rates of release of calcein measured in the presence of phosphatidylethanolamine- N-methyl and phosphatidylethanolamine- N, N-dimethyl did not fit the correlation between rate and curvature established for the phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylethanolamine mixtures. Rather, the effects of zwitterionic lipid headgroup on calcein flux suggested that what was important was the presence of a proton in the headgroup, able to take part in hydrogen bonding to MscL. We conclude that the function of MscL is likely to be modulated by direct interaction with the surrounding, annular phospholipids that contact the protein in the membrane.