Na⁺ and H⁺ dependent Mn²⁺ binding to phosphatidylserine vesicles as a test of the Gouy-Chapman-Stern theory

Summary

Mn²⁺ binding to phosphatidylserine (PS) vesicles was measured by EPR as a function of [Na⁺] and pH. At nearly physiological monovalent salt concentration the apparent Mn²⁺ affinity (K _a) increased monitonically over the pH range 5.7–8.35, withK _a roughly α[H⁺]⁻¹ above pH 7.3. It was found, moreover, thatK _a fell off more rapidly with added NaCl at pH 6.1 than at pH 7.87. Qualitatively, these results are consistent with two types of Mn²⁺-PS binding: (i) simple adsorption and (ii) adsorption with the release of an amino proton from PS. The existence of Mn²⁺-induced H⁺ displacement from PS was verified through titration measurements, employing a pH electrode.

When H⁺ displacement is taken into account, the variation inK _a with [Na⁺] observed at pH 6.1 is found to be in reasonably good agreement with that expected from the Gouy-Chapman-Stern theory of ionic binding to charged surfaces.