Characterization of the lipid-binding site of equinatoxin II by NMR and molecular dynamics simulation

Abstract

Equinatoxin II (EqtII) is a soluble, 20 kDa pore-forming protein toxin isolated from the sea anemone Actinia equina. Although pore formation has long been known to occur in distinct stages, including monomeric attachment to phospholipid membranes followed by detachment of the N-terminal helical domain and oligomerization into the final pore assembly, atomistic-level detail of the protein-lipid interactions underlying these events remains elusive. Using high-resolution solution state NMR of uniformly-15N-labeled EqtII at the critical micelle concentration of dodecylphosphocholine, we have mapped the lipid-binding site through chemical shift perturbations. Subsequent docking of an EqtII monome..