Effect of phenol-induced changes in lipid composition on conformation of OmpF-like porin of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.

The present work aimed to compare the effects of different lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) content in lipids derived from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis cells exposed and not exposed to phenol on the conformation of OmpF-like porin of these bacteria. Differential scanning calorimetry and intrinsic protein fluorescence showed that the 2.5-fold increase of LPE content and the corresponding increase in the phase transition temperature of bacterial lipids were accompanied by enhanced protein thermostability. Integral conformational rearrangement of protein was supported by drastic changes in the microenvironment of the tryptophan residues, likely resulting in a convergence of monomers in trimeric porin and exposure of outer tryptophan residues to the water environment. These conformational changes may impede the porin channel permeability under stress conditions in bacteria.