Nanoscale Perturbations of Lipid Bilayers Induced by Magainin 2: Insights from AFM Imaging and Force Spectroscopy

This study explores the impact of the antimicrobial peptide magainin 2 (Mag2) on lipid bilayers with varying compositions. We employed high-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) to reveal a dynamic spectrum of structural changes induced by Mag2. Our AFM imaging unveiled distinct structural alterations in zwitterionic POPC bilayers upon Mag2 exposure, notably the formation of nanoscale depressions within the bilayer surface, which we term as "surface pores" to differentiate them from transmembrane pores. These surface pores are characterized by a limited depth that does not appear to fully traverse the bilayer and reach the opposing leaflet. Additionally, our AFM-based force spectroscopy investigation on POPC bilayers revealed a reduction in bilayer puncture force (F