Interfacial properties of a synthetic peptide derived from hepatitis G virus E2 protein: interaction with lipid monolayers

A useful approach to get information about the potential fusogenic ability of virus synthetic peptides is the study of its interfacial properties and subsequent study in mono- and bilayers. In this work, we have characterized by means of physicochemical tools (i.e. compression isotherms and surface activity) the sequence 267-284, LLGTEVSEVLGGAGLTGG, derived from the E2 structural protein of HGV/GBV-C. The adsorption of the peptide at the air/water interface was monitored by following the increase in surface pressure as a function of time at two different pH values: 5 and 7. Parameters such as surface excess or molecular area were calculated from the equation of Gibbs. The peptide showed a tendency to migrate to the surface of a saline-buffered solution. It formed stable monolayers at the air/water interface giving a compression isotherm with a shape consistent with that of some alpha-helical peptide conformations. Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) showed that through compression the peptide formed multilayers. The studies with lipid monolayers (DPMC, DMPC/DMPG, and DMPC/DMTAP) showed that the peptide interacts with all the lipids assayed producing a marked disrupting effect upon them. In these effects electrostatic interactions seem to have some participation.