PEPTIDES AND LIPID BILAYERS - DYNAMIC INTERACTIONS

The interactions of amphipathic alpha-helical peptides with lipid bila yers provide a model of the interactions of membrane proteins with the ir environment, as well as insights into the modes of action of biolog ically important peptides. Recent results have shown that antimicrobia l peptides, such as magainin, may act by stabilising the formation of toroidal pores within lipid bilayers, In contrast, the influenza fusio n peptide promotes nonbilayer lipid phases. Complex pore-forming bacte rial toxins, such as colicins, unfold at the bilayer surface, yielding a dynamic structure containing both bilayer-inserted and bilayer-surf ace helices, Recent improvements in methods for computer simulations h ave enabled them to play an important role in helping elucidate the na ture of peptide-bilayer interactions.