Flocculation and Membrane Binding of Outer Membrane Protein F, Porin, at Acidic pH

Abstract

Outer membrane protein F (OmpF), porin, of Escherichia coli is an intrinsic membrane protein made of a β-sheet barrel, the amino acid sequence being as hydrophilic as many soluble proteins in spite of its location in the hydrophobic region of membrane. The binding of porin molecules with a lipid membrane and the flocculation of the protein were studied at various pH, using the combination of centrifugation and intrinsic fluorescence measurements. The binding of porin with the lipid membrane occurred in the pH range below 7, whereas the flocculation of porin in the absence of the membrane was observed only at pH below 5. Porin molecules in the pH range between 5 and 7 were stable as a colloid but spontaneously bound with the lipid membrane soon after the addition of lipid vesicles. The possible mechanism of the structural formation of porin in the outer membrane was discussed based on the pH dependence of the membrane binding ability of this protein.