A polydiacetylene-based fluorescence assay for the measurement of lipid membrane affinity

RSC Advances ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (81) ◽  
pp. 66420-66425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Menglin Wei ◽  
Jiajia Liu ◽  
Yuanyuan Xia ◽  
Feng Feng ◽  
Wenyuan Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Screening Tool ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Fluorescence Assay ◽  
Membrane Affinity ◽  
Pda Vesicles

Polydiacetylene (PDA) is a promising membrane-screening tool because lipid constituents can be incorporated into the PDA framework to form lipid/PDA vesicles used as lipid bilayers.

scholarly journals The Structural Integrity of the Model Lipid Membrane during Induced Lipid Peroxidation: The Role of Flavonols in the Inhibition of Lipid Peroxidation

Antioxidants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja Sadžak ◽  
Janez Mravljak ◽  
Nadica Maltar-Strmečki ◽  
Zoran Arsov ◽  
Goran Baranović ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Peroxidation ◽  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Lipid Membranes ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Membrane Properties ◽  
Structural Reorganization ◽  
Unsaturated Lipids ◽  
Oxidative Attack

The structural integrity, elasticity, and fluidity of lipid membranes are critical for cellular activities such as communication between cells, exocytosis, and endocytosis. Unsaturated lipids, the main components of biological membranes, are particularly susceptible to the oxidative attack of reactive oxygen species. The peroxidation of unsaturated lipids, in our case 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC), induces the structural reorganization of the membrane. We have employed a multi-technique approach to analyze typical properties of lipid bilayers, i.e., roughness, thickness, elasticity, and fluidity. We compared the alteration of the membrane properties upon initiated lipid peroxidation and examined the ability of flavonols, namely quercetin (QUE), myricetin (MCE), and myricitrin (MCI) at different molar fractions, to inhibit this change. Using Mass Spectrometry (MS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), we identified various carbonyl products and examined the extent of the reaction. From Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Force Spectroscopy (FS), Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS), and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) experiments, we concluded that the membranes with inserted flavonols exhibit resistance against the structural changes induced by the oxidative attack, which is a finding with multiple biological implications. Our approach reveals the interplay between the flavonol molecular structure and the crucial membrane properties under oxidative attack and provides insight into the pathophysiology of cellular oxidative injury.

scholarly journals Molecular simulations of lipid membrane partitioning and translocation by bacterial quorum sensing modulators

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0246187
Author(s):  
Tianyi Jin ◽  
Samarthaben J. Patel ◽  
Reid C. Van Lehn
Keyword(s):  
Quorum Sensing ◽  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Computational Cost ◽  
Md Simulations ◽  
Umbrella Sampling ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Free Energies ◽  
Membrane Partitioning ◽  
Solvent Model

Quorum sensing (QS) is a bacterial communication process mediated by both native and non-native small-molecule quorum sensing modulators (QSMs), many of which have been synthesized to disrupt QS pathways. While structure-activity relationships have been developed to relate QSM structure to the activation or inhibition of QS receptors, less is known about the transport mechanisms that enable QSMs to cross the lipid membrane and access intracellular receptors. In this study, we used atomistic MD simulations and an implicit solvent model, called COSMOmic, to analyze the partitioning and translocation of QSMs across lipid bilayers. We performed umbrella sampling at atomistic resolution to calculate partitioning and translocation free energies for a set of naturally occurring QSMs, then used COSMOmic to screen the water-membrane partition and translocation free energies for 50 native and non-native QSMs that target LasR, one of the LuxR family of quorum-sensing receptors. This screening procedure revealed the influence of systematic changes to head and tail group structures on membrane partitioning and translocation free energies at a significantly reduced computational cost compared to atomistic MD simulations. Comparisons with previously determined QSM activities suggest that QSMs that are least likely to partition into the bilayer are also less active. This work thus demonstrates the ability of the computational protocol to interrogate QSM-bilayer interactions which may help guide the design of new QSMs with engineered membrane interactions.

scholarly journals Size matters: Size Dependency of Gold Nanoparticles Interacting with Model Membranes

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Contini ◽  
James W. Hindley ◽  
Tom Macdonald ◽  
Joseph Barritt ◽  
Oscar Ces ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gold Nanoparticles ◽  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Membrane System ◽  
Size Dependent ◽  
Research Fields ◽  
Large Unilamellar Vesicles ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Experimental Characterisation

<p><b>The rapid development of nanomaterials has led to an increase in the number and variety of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in the environment. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are an example of a commonly studied ENM whose highly tailorable properties have generated significant interest through a wide range of research fields. In the present work, we report the first qualitative as well as quantitative experimental characterisation of the AuNP-membrane interaction. We investigate the interactions between citrate-stabilised AuNPs (diameters 5, 10, 25, 35, 50, 60 nm) and large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) acting as a model membrane system. LUVs were prepared in two different formulations using 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) and 1,2-dileoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC). Our results show that the interaction between AuNPs and LUVs is size dependent; in particular, we reveal the existence of two AuNP’s critical diameters which determine the fate of AuNPs in contact with a lipid membrane. The results provide a new understanding of the size dependent interaction between AuNPs and lipid bilayers of direct relevance to nanotoxicology and to the design of NP vectors.</b></p>

Micro-Encapsulation and Tuning of Biomolecular Unit Cell Networks

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary-Anne Nguyen ◽  
Stephen A. Sarles
Keyword(s):  
Free Energy ◽  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Energy State ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Solid Material ◽  
Mineral Oil ◽  
Material System ◽  
Electrical Measurements ◽  
Unit Cells

The goal of our research is to fabricate an autonomic material system that provides compartmentalization and multi-bilayer networks for enabling collective biomolecular functionality, as is found in living cells and tissues. The material system is based on biomolecular unit cells, which consist of synthetic lipid bilayers formed at the interfaces of lipid-coated aqueous droplets submerged in oil and contained in a solid material. This paper focuses on microfluidic encapsulation of unit cells within a solid material and tuning the amount of contact between droplets, two approaches aimed at increasing the functional density of the droplet-based material system. Hydrodynamic traps within microfluidic platforms have shown to be a promising method to capture single droplets within microfluidic devices. Herein, we develop a resistive flow model to design hydrodynamic traps for collecting pairs of droplets in a direct trapping mode to form unit cells. We also compare to the model the results of droplet trapping in a prototype microfluidic device fabricated prior to model development. In addition to flow techniques for assembling unit cells in solid materials, we examine the use of mineral oil as the hydrophobic oil phase that surrounds the droplets to increase the area of the lipid membrane formed between neighboring droplets. Compared to hexadecane, mineral oil produces larger contact areas between droplets and more-tightly packed multi-bilayer networks. The total free energies of formation for droplet arrays in mineral oil and hexadecane indicate that connected droplets in mineral oil exhibit a greater decrease in free energy upon formation (i.e. they exist at a lower energy state compared to those in hexadecane) and that hexagonal packing provides the maximum amount of decrease in free energy per droplet for droplets in large arrays. Electrical measurements of unit cells formed in mineral oil initially show gigaohm resistances typical of unit cells, however these unit cells exhibit increasing values of conductance as the bilayer areas grow.

Selective arrangement of vesicles on artificial lipid membrane by biotin-avidin interaction

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Hashino ◽  
Daiya Mombayashi ◽  
Yuto Nakatani ◽  
Azusa Oshima ◽  
Masumi Yamaguchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Bilayer ◽  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Liquid Crystalline ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Unsaturated Lipid ◽  
Si Substrates ◽  
Phase Domain ◽  
Unsaturated Lipids ◽  
Lipid Mixtures ◽  
The Difference

Abstract Lipid bilayers suspended over microwells on Si substrates are promising platforms for nanobiodevices that mimic cell membranes. Using the biotin-avidin interaction, we have succeeded in selectively arranging vesicles on the freestanding region of a lipid bilayer. When ternary lipid mixtures of saturated lipid, unsaturated lipid, and cholesterol are used, they separate into liquid-order (Lo) and liquid-crystalline (Lα) domains. A freestanding lipid bilayer prefers the Lα-phase over the Lo-phase because of the difference in their flexibility. In addition, the type of biotinylated lipid determines whether it is localized in the Lα-phase domain or the Lo-phase domain. As a result, the biotinylated unsaturated lipids localized in the Lα-phase domain aggregate in the freestanding lipid bilayer, and vesicles labeled with biotin selectively bind to the freestanding lipid bilayer by the biotin-avidin interaction. This technique helps to introduce biomolecules into the freestanding lipid bilayer of nanobiodevices via vesicles.

scholarly journals Transmembrane transport of copper(i) by imidazole-functionalised calix[4]arenes

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (59) ◽  
pp. 8206-8209
Author(s):  
Nathan Renier ◽  
Olivia Reinaud ◽  
Ivan Jabin ◽  
Hennie Valkenier
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Fluorescence Assay ◽  
Transmembrane Transport

In this communication we present a ligand for copper(i) that can selectively extract this cation into chloroform and transport copper(i) across lipid bilayers, as demonstrated in a newly developed fluorescence assay.

scholarly journals Structure and Dynamics of Glycosphingolipids in Lipid Bilayers: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronak Y. Patel ◽  
Petety V. Balaji
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Membrane Structure ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Biological Membranes ◽  
Md Simulations ◽  
Atomic Level ◽  
Structure And Dynamics ◽  
Hydrogen Bonding Interactions ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

Glycolipids are important constituents of biological membranes, and understanding their structure and dynamics in lipid bilayers provides insights into their physiological and pathological roles. Experimental techniques have provided details into their behavior at model and biological membranes; however, computer simulations are needed to gain atomic level insights. This paper summarizes the insights obtained from MD simulations into the conformational and orientational dynamics of glycosphingolipids and their exposure, hydration, and hydrogen-bonding interactions in membrane environment. The organization of glycosphingolipids in raft-like membranes and their modulation of lipid membrane structure are also reviewed.

scholarly journals Structural Determinants of Water Permeability through the Lipid Membrane

2007 ◽  
Vol 131 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
John C. Mathai ◽  
Stephanie Tristram-Nagle ◽  
John F. Nagle ◽  
Mark L. Zeidel
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Water Permeability ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Single Component ◽  
Bilayer Thickness ◽  
Structural Determinants ◽  
Area Per Lipid ◽  
Theoretical Paper ◽  
Chain Lengths ◽  
Hydrophobic Solvent

Despite intense study over many years, the mechanisms by which water and small nonelectrolytes cross lipid bilayers remain unclear. While prior studies of permeability through membranes have focused on solute characteristics, such as size, polarity, and partition coefficient in hydrophobic solvent, we focus here on water permeability in seven single component bilayers composed of different lipids, five with phosphatidylcholine headgroups and different chain lengths and unsaturation, one with a phosphatidylserine headgroup, and one with a phosphatidylethanolamine headgroup. We find that water permeability correlates most strongly with the area/lipid and is poorly correlated with bilayer thickness and other previously determined structural and mechanical properties of these single component bilayers. These results suggest a new model for permeability that is developed in the accompanying theoretical paper in which the area occupied by the lipid is the major determinant and the hydrocarbon thickness is a secondary determinant. Cholesterol was also incorporated into DOPC bilayers and X-ray diffuse scattering was used to determine quantitative structure with the result that the area occupied by DOPC in the membrane decreases while bilayer thickness increases in a correlated way because lipid volume does not change. The water permeability decreases with added cholesterol and it correlates in a different way from pure lipids with area per lipid, bilayer thickness, and also with area compressibility.

scholarly journals Characterization of Lipid Membrane Properties for Tunable Electroporation

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Jeremy Cho ◽  
Shalabh C. Maroo ◽  
Evelyn N. Wang
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Contact Angle Measurement ◽  
Angle Measurement ◽  
Membrane Properties ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Packing Structure ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

Lipid bilayers form nanopores on the application of an electric field. This process of electroporation can be utilized in different applications ranging from targeted drug delivery in cells to nano-gating membrane for engineering applications. However, the ease of electroporation is dependent on the surface energy of the lipid layers and thus directly related to the packing structure of the lipid molecules. 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) lipid monolayers were deposited on a mica substrate using the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique at different packing densities and analyzed using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The wetting behavior of these monolayers was investigated by contact angle measurement and molecular dynamics simulations. It was found that an equilibrium packing density of liquid-condensed (LC) phase DPPC likely exists and that water molecules can penetrate the monolayer displacing the lipid molecules. The surface tension of the monolayer in air and water was obtained along with its breakthrough force.

scholarly journals Comparing the Lipid Membrane Affinity and Permeation of Drug-like Acids: The Intriguing Effects of Cholesterol and Charged Lipids

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 1457-1472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita V. Thomae ◽  
Tamara Koch ◽  
Christian Panse ◽  
Heidi Wunderli-Allenspach ◽  
Stefanie D. Krämer
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Membrane Affinity
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