Acidic pH-induced membrane insertion of colicin A into E. coli natural lipids probed by site-directed spin labeling.

Colicin A is a pore-forming toxin that forms a voltage-gated channel in the inner membrane of the target bacteria. The structures of the closed and open channel states of membrane-bound colicin A are not resolved. In the present site-directed spin-labeling study, the insertion-competent state of colicin A is provoked by an acidic pH jump prior to the insertion into liposomes prepared from Escherichia coli natural lipids.

A high resolution electro-optical approach for investigating transition of soluble proteins to integral membrane proteins probed by colicin A.

The transition from water soluble state to an integral membrane protein state is a crucial step in the formation of the active form of many pore-forming or receptor proteins. Albeit this, high resolution techniques which allow assay of protein membrane binding and concomitant development of the final active form in the membrane await further development. Here, we describe a horizontal artificial bilayers setup allowing for simultaneous electrical and optical measurements at a single molecule level.