Size dependence of the translational diffusion of large integral membrane proteins in liquid-crystalline phase lipid bilayers. A study using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching.

The translational diffusion of bovine rhodopsin, the Ca2+-activated adenosinetriphosphatase of rabbit muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum, and the acetylcholine receptor monomer of Torpedo marmorata has been examined at a high dilution (molar ratios of lipid/protein greater than or equal to 3000/1) in liquid-crystalline phase phospholipid bilayer membranes by using the fluorescence recovery after photobleaching technique. These integral membrane proteins having molecular weights of about 37 000 for rhodopsin, about 100 000 for the adenosinetriphosphatase, and about 250 000 for the acetylcholine receptor were reconstituted into membranes of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (rhodopsin and acetylcholine receptor), soybean lipids (acetylcholine receptor), and a total lipid extract of rabbit muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum (adenosinetriphosphatase). The translational diffusion coefficients of all the proteins at 310 K were found to be in the range (1-3) X 10(-8) cm2/s. In consideration of the sizes of the membrane-bound portions of these proteins, this result is in agreement with the weak dependence of the translational diffusion coefficient upon diffusing particle size predicted by continuum fluid hydrodynamic models for the diffusion in membranes [Saffman, P. G., & Delbrück, M. (1975) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 72, 3111-3113]. Lipid diffusion was also examined in th same lipid bilayers with the fluorescent lipid derivative N-(7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl)dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine. The translational diffusion coefficient for this lipid derivative was found to be in the range (9-14) X 10(-8) cm2/s at 310 K. In consideration of the dimensions of the lipid molecule, this value for the lipid diffusion coefficient is in agreement with the continuum fluid hydrodynamic model only if a near-complete slip boundary condition is assumed at the bilayer midplane. Alternatively, kinetic diffusion models [Träuble, H., & Sackmann. E. (1972) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 94, 4499-4510] may have to be invoked to explain the lipid diffusion behavior.