Bilayer-stabilizing properties of myelin basic protein in dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine systems

31P-NMR and X-ray diffraction techniques are used to study the comparative ability of myelin basic protein (MBP) vs. other basic proteins to convert hexagonal (HII) phases to stable lamellar (L alpha) structures. Pure dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) at pH 9 and 7, and mixtures of DOPE/phosphatidylserine (PS) (95:5 and 80:20% w/w) at pH 7 were employed for this investigation. The polymorphic behavior of the lipid suspensions was evaluated in the presence and absence of several basic proteins (MBP, calf thymus histone, lysozyme, melittin) and the cationic polypeptide, polylysine (PL). Each of the proteins and PL was capable of binding the pure DOPE HII phase at pH 9 but with varying morphological consequences, i.e., lamellar stabilization (MBP, histone, PL), formation of new protein-DOPE HII phases (lysozyme) or lipid disordering/vesiculation (melittin). Reduction to pH 7 resulted in the dissociation of protein from DOPE - with the exception of melittin - and the reformation of a pure lipid HII phase. Additions of PS to DOPE at pH 7 facilitated protein binding, but among the proteins examined, only MBP was capable of converting the lipid suspension into a stable multilamellar form. Differences in the lipid morphology produced by each protein are discussed in terms of protein physicochemical characteristics. In addition, a possible relationship between MBP-lipid interactions and the stability of myelin sheath lipid multilayers is inferred from the significant bilayer-stabilizing capacity of MBP.