Probing the Interactions of Cytochrome c with Anionic Phospholipid Nanodiscs Using Millisecond Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry

The interplay between the anionic phospholipid cardiolipin (CL) and cytochrome c (cyt c) holds significance in the early stages of apoptosis. Despite identification of up to four potential sites of interaction between cytochrome c and cardiolipin bearing membranes, the exact mode of interaction remains unexplained, especially given that some of the putative binding surfaces are mutually exclusive. In this study, we utilize millisecond time-resolved electrospray ionization hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (TRESI-HDX-MS) to investigate conformational and dynamic changes in cytochrome c in the presence of various phospholipids (DMPC, POPG, and CL) incorporated into nanodiscs. We observe that, among the proposed binding sites, the adjacent "L"- and "A"-sites exhibited a decrease in deuterium exchange, while the "N" site remained unperturbed, suggesting a specific orientation of cytochrome c with respect to cell membranes upon binding. We also demonstrate that negatively charged phospholipids with physical differences (i.e., POPG and CL) exhibit essentially the same interaction with cytochrome c, supporting the utility of POPG nanodiscs as a model for cytochrome c-membrane interactions.