Abstract
Solid state ^19^F NMR revealed the conformation and alignment of the fusogenic peptide sequence B18 from the sea urchin fertilization protein bindin embedded in flat phospholipid bilayers. Single ^19^F labels were introduced into nine distinct positions along the wild‐type sequence by substituting each hydrophobic amino acid, one by one, with L‐4‐fluorophenylglycine. Their anisotropic chemical shifts were measured in uniaxially oriented membrane samples and used as orientational constraints to model the peptide structure in the membrane‐bound state. Previous ^1^H NMR studies of B18 in 30% TFE and in detergent micelles had shown that the peptide structure consists of two α‐helical segments that are connected by a flexible hinge. This helix–break–helix motif was confirmed here by the solid‐state ^19^F NMR data, while no other secondary structure (β‐sheet, 3~10~‐helix) was compatible with the set of orientational constraints. For both α‐helical segments we found that the helical conformation extends all the way to the respective N‐ and C‐termini of the peptide. Analysis of the corresponding tilt and azimuthal rotation angles showed that the N‐terminal helix of B18 is immersed obliquely into the bilayer (at a tilt angle τ ≈ 54°), whereas the C‐terminus is peripherally aligned (τ ≈ 91°). The azimuthal orientation of the two segments is consistent with the amphiphilic distribution of side‐chains. The observed ‘boomerang’‐like mode of insertion into the membrane may thus explain how peptide binding leads to lipid dehydration and acyl chain perturbation as a prerequisite for bilayer fusion to occur. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.