Spin label studies on the selectivity of lipid-protein interaction of cardiolipin analogues with the Na+/K+-ATPase.

The selectivity of lipid-protein interaction for various spin-labelled cardiolipin analogues in Na+/K+-ATPase membranes from Squalus acanthias has been investigated by ESR spectroscopy. Cardiolipin derivatives with different numbers of acyl chains, or in which the headgroup charge has been removed by methylation of the phosphate groups, all show a pronounced selectivity relative to phosphatidylcholine. Maximally three times more of the cardiolipin analogue is associated with the protein, than is phosphatidylcholine. The selectivity pattern in the absence of salt is in the order: cardiolipin approximately monolysocardiolipin greater than or equal to acylcardiolipin greater than dimethylcardiolipin much greater than phosphatidylcholine, where acylcardiolipin has the spin label chain attached to the centre-OH group of the headgroup. The degree of association of the negatively charged cardiolipins with the protein is reduced by salt, corresponding to the lower selectivity for dimethylcardiolipin. It is concluded that the selectivity of the Na+/K+-ATPase for cardiolipin is not solely of electrostatic origin, nor is it likely to originate in the larger number of fatty acid chains relative to diacyl phospholipids.