The participation of phospholipids in the interaction of leucocidin and the cell membrane of the polymorphonuclear leucocyte.

1. The interaction of the two components of leucocidin with various lipids has been studied by sedimentation, flotation, light-scattering and changes in the biological activity of leucocidin. 2. Phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylcholine, diphosphoinositide, triphosphoinositide and phosphatidic acid, but not phosphatidylethanolamine, lysophosphatidylcholine, cerebrosides, gangliosides or tristearin, induce aggregation of the F component of leucocidin. 3. The S component of leucocidin does not interact directly with these phospholipids, but interacts with the F component of leucocidin after its modification by lipids. 4. The increased sedimentation or light-scattering induced by low phospholipid concentrations is reversed at higher phospholipid concentrations. 6. The aggregates formed by phospholipids and leucocidin are due, not to adsorption of leucocidin alone, but also to the formation of leucocidin polymers. 7. It is concluded that the aggregation is due to the interaction of the F component with the fatty acid side chains in the lipid micelle. 8. The S component of leucocidin is inactivated by triphosphoinositide at physiological ionic strength; the F component of leucocidin is inactivated at low ionic strength by triphosphoinositide and remains inactive when the ionic strength is increased. 9. It is suggested that in the leucocyte cell membrane the S component of leucocidin interacts with the polar hydrophilic groups of triphosphoinositide and that the F component of leucocidin interacts with the hydrophobic parts of triphosphoinositide.