Melittin, the main basic and hydrophobic peptide of bee venom, has been used for solubilizing membrane components of the human erythrocyte ghost. Up to 1.0 mM, it does not extract any phospholipid. Between 0.1 and 1.0 mM, it solubilizes partially glycophorin A and acetylcholinesterase. When the membrane is first degraded by phospholipase A2, the solubilization of both proteins by melittin is total, and 48% of the phospholipids are removed, mainly as lysoproducts, whereas phospholipase A2, by itself, has no solubilizing properties. In its melittin-solubilized state, acetylcholinesterase is in a dimeric form and displays a slow time-dependent irreversible inactivation. Triton X-100 at 1.0% (v/v) interrupts the inactivation. We suggest that melittin binds to the hydrophobic site of acetylcholinesterase which anchors it in the lipid bilayer.
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