Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy studies of lipid/protein interaction in pulmonary surfactant

The thermotropic behavior of intact bovine lung surfactant and its hydrophobic extract has been monitored via the temperature dependence of the 2850 cm-1 phospholipid acyl chain CH2 symmetric stretching frequencies in the IR spectrum. A broad, reversible, melting event was noted from about 15 to 40 degrees C in both the lipid extract and the native surfactant. Slight protein-induced disordering of the lipid acyl chains was evident. The melting event was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry. The major surfactant protein, a 30-36-kDa class of glycoprotein (SP-A), has been isolated from bovine lung lavage and purified by affinity chromatography. SP-A was reconstituted into a binary lipid mixture of acyl chain perdeuterated dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine/dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol (DPPC-d62/DPPG, 85:15 w/w), a ratio which approximates that in surfactant. Use of DPPC-d62 permitted the FT-IR determination of the effect of protein on the thermotropic behavior of individual phospholipids in the binary mixture. High levels of SP-A induced an ordering of the phospholipids, as shown by an increase in the transition temperature of DPPC-d62 compared to the lipid model. In contrast, a mixture of the other surfactant proteins induced a progressive disordering of the phospholipids and disruption of the cooperativity of the melting event. Transition widths of about 3 degrees, 9 degrees, and 27 degrees were noted for protein:lipid ratios of 0, 1:1, and 2:1 (w/w), respectively. Possible roles for the various proteins in surfactant function are discussed in light of these data.