Plant Antimicrobial Protein Interactions with Self-Assembled Floating Membrane Models of Plant and Bacterial Membranes

Previously (RB1910140) we developed free floating model plant and pathogen membranes where complex unsaturated lipid mixtures and sterols which can be self-assembled adjacent to anionic PEGylated thiol self-assembling monolayers (SAM). Here, we will examine the interaction of plant defence protein purothionin, under physiologically accurate conditions using this sample system. Furthermore, we will examine whether this novel sample system has any particular issues relating to this kind of interaction studies and how the disruption of the floating bilayer affects the system behaviour. For our study we will generate four different membranes – two plant plasma membrane models of different complexity in their lipid composition and two bacterial models. The distribution of purothionin across each membrane, as well as the position and condition of each membrane itself will be elucidated.