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Calorimetry Methods to Study Membrane Interactions and Perturbations Induced by Antimicrobial Host Defense Peptides

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Antimicrobial Peptides

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1548))

Abstract

Biological membranes play an important role in determining the activity and selectivity of antimicrobial host defense peptides (AMPs). Several biophysical methods have been developed to study the interactions of AMPs with biological membranes. Isothermal titration calorimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (ITC and DSC, respectively) are powerful techniques as they provide a unique label-free approach. ITC allows for a complete thermodynamic characterization of the interactions between AMPs and membranes. DSC allows one to study the effects of peptide binding on the packing of the phospholipids in the membrane. Used in combination with mimetic models of biological membranes, such as phospholipid vesicles, the role of different phospholipid headgroups and distinct acyl chains can be characterized. In these protocols the use of ITC and DSC methods for the study of peptide–membrane interactions will be presented, highlighting the importance of membrane model systems selected to represent bacterial and mammalian cells. These studies provide valuable insights into the mechanisms involved in the membrane binding and perturbation properties of AMPs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biochemistry Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, AB, Canada, T2N 1N4

    Mauricio Arias, Elmar J. Prenner & Hans J. Vogel

Authors
  1. Mauricio Arias
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  2. Elmar J. Prenner
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  3. Hans J. Vogel
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hans J. Vogel .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Paul R. Hansen

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Arias, M., Prenner, E.J., Vogel, H.J. (2017). Calorimetry Methods to Study Membrane Interactions and Perturbations Induced by Antimicrobial Host Defense Peptides. In: Hansen, P. (eds) Antimicrobial Peptides. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1548. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6737-7_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6737-7_9

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-6735-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-6737-7

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