Membrane activity of the phospholipase C-δ₁ pleckstrin homology (PH) domain

PH-PLCδ₁ [the PH domain (pleckstrin homology domain) of PLCδ₁ (phospholipase C-δ₁)] is among the best-characterized phosphoinositide-binding domains. PH-PLCδ₁ binds with high specificity to the headgroup of PtdIns(4,5)P₂, but little is known about its interfacial properties. In the present study, we show that PH-PLCδ₁ is also membrane-active and can insert significantly into PtdIns(4,5)P₂-containing monolayers at physiological (bilayer-equivalent) surface pressures. However, this membrane activity appears to involve interactions distinct from those that target PH-PLCδ₁ to the PtdIns(4,5)P₂ headgroup. Whereas the majority of PtdIns(4,5)P₂-bound PH-PLCδ₁ can be displaced by adding excess of soluble headgroup [Ins(1,4,5)P₃], membrane activity of PH-PLCδ₁ cannot. PH-PLCδ₁ differs from other phosphoinositide-binding domains in that its membrane insertion does not require that the phosphoinositide-binding site be occupied. Significant monolayer insertion remains when the phosphoinositide-binding site is mutated, and PH-PLCδ₁ can insert into monolayers that contain no PtdIns(4,5)P₂ at all. Our results suggest a model in which reversible membrane binding of PH-PLCδ₁, mediated by PtdIns(4,5)P₂ or other acidic phospholipids, occurs without membrane insertion. Accumulation of the PH domain at the membrane surface enhances the efficiency of insertion, but does not significantly affect its extent, whereas the presence of phosphatidylethanolamine and cholesterol in the lipid mixture promotes the extent of insertion. This is the first report of membrane activity in an isolated PH domain and has implications for understanding the membrane targeting by this common type of domain.