Critical micelle concentrations and stirring are rate limiting in the loss of lipid mass during membrane degradation by phospholipase A2.

In phospholipid membranes attacked by phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)), accumulation of degradation products influences the binding affinity as well as the catalytic activity of PLA(2). Such accumulation in its turn depends on the rate of membrane degradation and the efflux of degradation products from the membrane, the latter being influenced by the stirring conditions in the system. This complicated process was investigated with a new ellipsometric technique for in situ measurement of membrane mass in a well-defined flow system. Planar phospholipid bilayers were formed on rotating silicon discs in buffer solution. After the addition of 0.05-100 ng/ml of PLA(2) (from Naja mocambique mocambique) to the buffer, mass desorption could be measured with a precision of 3-5 ng/cm(2), that is, about 1% of the surface mass of a single bilayer. Using radiolabeled phospholipids and thin-layer chromatography, it was verified that only the degradation products desorb from the membrane, which was confirmed by the desorption of mixtures of phospholipids, lysophospholipids, and fatty acids. The rotating disc allows the exact calculation of the mass transfer constant for transport-limited exchange of lipid between fluid and disc surface, as a function of rotation rate. By using the mass transfer constant, the critical micelle concentrations, and the mole fractions of products, desorption kinetics could be fully described. The amount of degraded phospholipid could be continuously monitored as the sum of the product mass still present in the membrane, as inferred from the desorption rate, and the mass already lost from the surface. It is concluded that ellipsometry is a suitable tool for studying the effects of PLA(2) on membranes.