Single channel planar lipid bilayer recordings of the melittin variant MelP5

•MelP5 forms bigger pores than melittin in planar lipid bilayers.•MelP5 pores contain on average 10–12 peptides, melittin pores contain 3–8.•MelP5 shows pore formation at 2 times lower concentrations than melittin.•MelP5 occasionally forms stable, defined pores, unlike melittin.

MelP5 is a 26 amino acid peptide derived from melittin, the main active constituent of bee venom, with five amino acid replacements. The pore-forming activity of MelP5 in lipid membranes is attracting attention because MelP5 forms larger pores and induces dye leakage through liposome membranes at a lower concentration than melittin. Studies of MelP5 have so far focused on ensemble measurements of membrane leakage and impedance; here we extend this characterization with an electrophysiological comparison between MelP5 and melittin using planar lipid bilayer recordings. These experiments reveal that MelP5 pores in lipid membranes composed of 3:1 phosphatidylcholine:cholesterol consist of an average of 10 to 12 monomers compared to an average of 3 to 9 monomers for melittin. Both peptides form transient pores with dynamically varying conductance values similar to previous findings for melittin, but MelP5 occasionally also forms stable, well-defined pores with single channel conductance values that vary greatly and range from 50 to 3000 pS in an electrolyte solution containing 100 mM KCl.

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