Peptide-induced coalescence of bicellar lipid assemblies: sensitivity to anionic lipid and peptide properties

Bicellar lipid mixture dispersions progressively coalesce to larger structures on warming. This phase behaviour is particularly sensitive to interactions that perturb bilayer properties. In this study, ²H NMR was used to study the perturbation of bicellar lipid mixtures by two peptides (SP-B₆₃₋₇₈, a lung surfactant protein fragment and Magainin 2, an antimicrobial peptide) which are structurally similar. Particular attention was paid to the relation between peptide-induced perturbation and lipid composition. In bicellar dispersions containing only zwitterionic lipids (DMPC-d₅₄/DMPC/DHPC (3:1:1)) both peptides had little to no effect on the temperature at which coalescence to larger structures occurred. Conversely, in mixtures containing anionic lipids (DMPC-d₅₄/DMPG/DHPC (3:1:1)), both peptides modified bicellar phase behaviour. In mixtures containing SP-B₆₃₋₇₈, the presence of peptide decreased the temperature of the ribbon-like to extended lamellar phase transition. The addition of Magainin 2 to DMPCd₅₄/ DMPG/DHPC (3:1:1) mixtures, in contrast, increased the temperature of this transition and yielded a series of spectra resembling DMPC/DHPC (4:1) mixtures. Additional studies of lipid dispersions containing deuterated anionic lipids were done to determine whether the observed perturbation involved a peptide-induced separation of zwitterionic and anionic lipids. Comparison of DMPC/DMPG-d₅₄/DHPC (3:1:1) and DMPC-d₅₄/DMPG/DHPC (3:1:1) mixtures showed that DMPC and DMPG occupy similar environments in the presence of SP-B₆₃₋₇₈, but different lipid environments in the presence of Magainin 2. This might reflect the promotion of anionic lipid clustering by Magainin 2. These results demonstrate the variability of mechanisms of peptide-induced perturbation and suggest that lipid composition is an important factor in the peptide-induced perturbation of lipid structures.

Design construction and testing of a heat loop for study of fouling and its interrelationship to corrosion in heat exchanger tubes

A heat loop suitable for the study of thermal fouling and its relationship to corrosion processes was designed, constructed and tested. The design adopted was an improvement over those used by such investigators as Hopkins and the Heat Transfer Research Institute in that very low levels of fouling could be detected accurately, the heat transfer surface could be readily removed for examination and the chemistry of the environment could be carefully monitored and controlled. In addition, an indirect method of electrical heating of the heat transfer surface was employed to eliminate magnetic and electric effects which result when direct resistance heating is employed to a test section. The testing of the loop was done using a 316 stainless steel test section and a suspension of ferric oxide and water in an attempt to duplicate the results obtained by Hopkins. Two types of thermal ·fouling resistance versus time curves were obtained . (i) Asymptotic type fouling curve, similar to the fouling behaviour described by Kern and Seaton and other investigators, was the most frequent type of fouling curve obtained. Thermal fouling occurred at a steadily decreasing rate before reaching a final asymptotic value. (ii) If an asymptotically fouled tube was cooled with rapid cir- ·culation for periods up to eight hours at zero heat flux, and heating restarted, fouling recommenced at a high linear rate. The fouling results obtained were observed to be similar and 1n agreement with the fouling behaviour reported previously by Hopkins and it was possible to duplicate quite closely the previous results . This supports the contention of Hopkins that the fouling results obtained were due to a crevice corrosion process and not an artifact of that heat loop which might have caused electrical and magnetic effects influencing the fouling. The effects of Reynolds number and heat flux on the asymptotic fouling resistance have been determined. A single experiment to study the effect of oxygen concentration has been carried out. The ferric oxide concentration for most of the fouling trials was standardized at 2400 ppM and the range of Reynolds number and heat flux for the study was 11000-29500 and 89-121 KW/M², respectively.