c-Fos is surface active and interacts differentially with phospholipid monolayers

GRACIELA ADRIANA BORIOLI; CAPUTTO B.L,; MAGGIO B.,

BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Año: 2001 vol. 12 p. 9 - 9

0006-291X

The transcription factor c-Fos forms stable Gibbs and Langmuir monolayers at the air-buffer interface. Its marked surface activity is enhanced by penetration into phospholipid films above the protein's own maximum adsorption surface pressure to a lipid-free interface. The protein-phospholipid stabilizing interactions at the interface depend on the lipid polar head group and  the increases of lateral surface pressure generated are comparable to those of  membrane-active proteins. The surface activity of c-Fos is strong enough to thermodynamically drive and retain c-Fos at the membrane interface where it may exert direct or indirect effects.