Investigating membrane-binding properties of lipoxygenases using surface plasmon resonance

Lipoxygenases (LOXs) catalyze the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids and synthesize oxylipin products that drive important cellular signaling processes in plants and animals. While there has been indirect evidence presented for the interaction of mammalian LOXs with membranes, a quantitative study of the molecular details of LOX-membrane interactions is lacking. Here, we mimicked biological membranes using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor chips derivatized with 2-D planar lipophilic anchors (2D LP) to capture liposomes of varying phospholipid compositions that self-assemble into lipid bilayers on the SPR chip. The sensor chip surfaces were then used to investigate the membrane-binding properties of model LOX enzymes. SPR binding assays displayed reproducible and stable liposome capture to the sensor chip surface that allowed for the detailed characterization of LOX-membrane interactions. Our studies demonstrate a calcium-dependence for the membrane binding activities of coral 8R-LOX and human 15-LOX-2. Furthermore, our data confirm the importance of key membrane insertion loop residues in each of these LOX enzymes for membrane binding activity. Experiments utilizing model plant and human LOXs reveal differences in membrane-binding specificities. Our study establishes and validates a robust SPR-based platform using 2D LP sensor chips that allows for the detailed study of LOX-membrane interactions under different experimental conditions, including altered membrane compositions. Collectively, this investigation improves our overall understanding of LOX-membrane interaction properties, and our SPR-based approach holds potential for future use in the development of LOX-based therapeutics.