Electrostatic interactions at the microscale modulate dynamics and distribution of lipids in bilayers

For decades, it has been assumed that electrostatic long-range (micron distances) repulsions in lipid bilayers are negligible due to screening from the aqueous milieu. This concept, mostly derived from theoretical calculations, is broadly accepted in the biophysical community. Here we present experimental evidence showing that domain-domain electrostatic repulsions in charged and also in neutral lipid bilayers regulate the diffusion, in-plane structuring and merging of lipid domains in the micron range. All the experiments were performed on both, lipid monolayers and bilayers, and the remarkable similarity in the results found in bilayers compared to monolayers led us to propose that inter-domain repulsions occur mainly within the plane of the membrane. Finally, our results indicate that electrostatic interactions between the species inserted in a cell membrane are not negligible, not only at nanometric but also at larger distances, suggesting another manner for regulating the membrane properties.

Dipolar interactions between domains in lipid monolayers at the air-water interface

A great variety of biologically relevant monolayers present phase coexistence characterized by domains formed by lipids in an ordered phase state dispersed in a continuous, disordered phase. From the difference in surface densities between these phases, inter-domain dipolar interactions arise. These interactions are relevant for the determination of the spacial distribution of domains as well as their dynamics. In this work, we propose a novel way of estimating the dipolar repulsion using a passive method that involves the analysis of images of the monolayer with phase coexistence. This method is based on the comparison of the pair correlation function obtained from experiments with that obtained from Brownian dynamics simulations of a model system. As an example, we determined the difference in dipolar density of a binary monolayer of DSPC/DMPC at the air-water interface from the analysis of the radial distribution of domains, and the results are compared with those obtained by surface potential determinations. A systematic analysis for the experimentally relevant parameter range is given, which may be used as a working curve for obtaining the dipolar repulsion in different systems.

The Rheological Properties of Lipid Monolayers Modulate the Incorporation of l-Ascorbic Acid Alkyl Esters

In this work, we tested the hypothesis that the incorporation of amphiphilic drugs into lipid membranes may be regulated by their rheological properties. For this purpose, two members of the l-ascorbic acid alkyl esters family (ASCn) were selected, ASC16 and ASC14, which have different rheological properties when organized at the air/water interface. They are lipophilic forms of vitamin C used in topical pharmacological preparations. The effect of the phase state of the host lipid membranes on ASCn incorporation was explored using Langmuir monolayers. Films of pure lipids with known phase states have been selected, showing liquid-expanded, liquid-condensed, and solid phases as well as pure cholesterol films in liquid-ordered state. We also tested ternary and quaternary mixed films that mimic the properties of cholesterol containing membranes and of the stratum corneum. The compressibility and shear properties of those monolayers were assessed in order to define its phase character. We found that the length of the acyl chain of the ASCn compounds induces differential changes in the rheological properties of the host membrane and subtly regulates the kinetics and extent of the penetration process. The capacity for ASCn uptake was found to depend on the phase state of the host film. The increase in surface pressure resultant after amphiphile incorporation appears to be a function of the capacity of the host membrane to incorporate such amphiphile as well as the rheological response of the film. Hence, monolayers that show a solid phase state responded with a larger surface pressure increase to the incorporation of a comparable amount of amphiphile than liquid-expanded ones. The cholesterol-containing films, including the mixture that mimics stratum corneum, allowed a very scarce ASCn uptake independently of the membrane diffusional properties. This suggests an important contribution of Cho on the maintenance of the barrier function of stratum corneum.

The Presence of Sterols Favors Sticholysin I-Membrane Association and Pore Formation Regardless of Their Ability to Form Laterally Segregated Domains

Sticholysin I (St I) is a pore-forming toxin (PFT) produced by the Caribbean Sea anemone Stichodactyla helianthus belonging to the actinoporin protein family, a unique class of eukaryotic PFT. As for actinoporins, it has been proposed that the presence of cholesterol (Chol) and the coexistence of lipid phases increase binding to the target membrane and pore-forming ability. However, little is known about the role of membrane structure and dynamics (phase state, fluidity, and the presence of lipid domains) on the activity of actinoporins or which regions of the membrane are the most favorable for protein insertion, oligomerization, and eventually pore formation. To gain insight into the role of membrane properties on the functional activity of St I, we studied its binding to monolayers and vesicles of phosphatidylcholine (PC), sphingomyelin (SM), and sterols inducing (ergosterol -Erg and cholesterol -Chol) or not (cholestenone - Cln) membrane phase segregation in liquid ordered (Lo) and liquid disordered (Ld) domains. This study revealed that St I binds and permeabilizes with higher efficiency sterol-containing membranes independently of their ability to form domains. We discuss the results in terms of the relevance of different membrane properties for the actinoporins mechanism of action, namely, molecular heterogeneity, specially potentiated in membranes with sterols inducers of phase separation (Chol or Erg) or Cln, a sterol noninducer of phase separation but with a high propensity to induce nonlamellar phase. The role of the Ld phase is pointed out as the most suitable platform for pore formation. In this regard, such regions in Chol-containing membranes seem to be the most favored due to its increased fluidity; this property promotes toxin insertion, diffusion, and oligomerization leading to pore formation.

Searching for line active molecules on biphasic lipid monolayers

In membranes with phase coexistence, line tension appears as an important parameter for the determination of the amount of domains, as well as their size and their shape, thus defining the membrane texture. Different molecules have been proposed as "linactants" (i.e. molecules that reduce the line tension, thereby modulating the membrane texture). In this work, we explore the efficiency of different molecules as linactants in monolayers with two coexisting phases of different thicknesses. We tested the linactant ability of a molecule with chains of different saturation degrees, another molecule with different chain lengths and a bulky molecule. In this way, we show in the same system the effect of molecules with chains of different rigidities, with an intrinsic thickness mismatch and with a bulky moiety, thereby analyzing different hypotheses of how a molecule may change the line tension in a monolayer system. Both lipids with different hydrocarbon chains did not act as linactants, while only one of the bulky molecules tested decreased the line tension in the monolayer studied. We conclude that there are no universal rules for the structure of a molecule that enable us to predict that it will behave as a linactant and thus, designing linactants appears to be a difficult task and a challenge for future studies. Furthermore, in regard to the membrane texture, there was no direct influence of the line tension in the distribution of domain sizes.

Zn(2+)-dependent surface behavior of diacylglycerol pyrophosphate and its mixtures with phosphatidic acid at different pHs

Diacylglycerol pyrophosphate (DGPP) is a minor lipid that attenuates the phosphatidic acid (PA) signal, and also DGPP itself would be a signaling lipid. Diacylglycerol pyrophosphate is an anionic phospholipid with a pyrophosphate group attached to diacylglycerol that was shown to respond to changes of pH, thus affecting the surface organization of DGPP and their interaction with PA. In this work, we have investigated how the presence of Zn(2+) modulates the surface organization of DGPP and its interaction with PA at acidic and basic pHs. Both lipids formed expanded monolayers at pHs 5 and 8. At pH 5, monolayers formed by DGPP became stiffer when Zn(2+)was added to the subphase, while the surface potential decreased. At this pH, Zn(2+) induced a phase transition from an expanded to a condensed-phase state in monolayers formed by PA. Conversely, at pH 8 the effects induced by the presence of Zn(2+) on the surface behaviors of the pure lipids were smaller. Thus, the interaction of the bivalent cation with both lipids was modulated by pH and by the ionization state of the polar head groups. Mixed monolayers of PA and DGPP showed a non-ideal behavior and were not affected by the presence of Zn(2+) at pH 8. This could be explained considering that when mixed, the lipids formed a closely packed monolayer that could not be further modified by the cation. Our results indicate that DGPP and PA exhibit expanded- and condensed-phase states depending on pH, on the proportion of each lipid in the film and on the presence of Zn(2+). This may have implications for a possible role of DGPP as a signaling lipid molecule.

Surface behavior of sphingomyelins with very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and effects of their conversion to ceramides

Molecular species of sphingomyelin (SM) with nonhydroxy (n) and 2-hydroxy (h) very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n- and h-28:4, 30:5, and 32:5) abound in rat spermatogenic cells and spermatozoa. These SMs are located on the sperm head, where they are converted to the corresponding ceramides (Cer) after the completion of the acrosomal reaction, as induced in vitro. The aim of this study was to look into the surface properties of these unique SM species and how these properties change by the SM → Cer conversion. After isolation by HPLC, these SMs were organized in Langmuir films and studied alone, in combination with different proportions of Cer, and during their conversion to Cer by sphingomyelinase. Compression isotherms for all six SMs under study were compatible with a liquid-expanded (LE) state and showed large molecular areas. Only the longest SMs (n-32:5 and h-32:5 SM) underwent a phase transition upon cooling. Interestingly, the abundant h-28:4 Cer exhibited a highly compressible liquid-condensed (LC) phase compatible with a high conformational freedom of Cer molecules but with the characteristic low diffusional properties of the LC phase. In mixed films of h-28:4 SM/h-28:4 Cer, the components showed favorable mixing in the LE phase. The monolayer exhibited h-28:4 Cer-rich domains both in premixed films and when formed by the action of sphingomyelinase on pure h-28:4 SM films. Whereas the SMs from sperm behaved in a way similar to that of shorter acylated SMs, the corresponding Cers showed atypical rheological properties that may be relevant to the membrane structural rearrangements that take place on the sperm head after the completion of the acrosomal reaction.

Stiffness of lipid monolayers with phase coexistence

The surface dilational modulus--or compressibility modulus--has been previously studied for monolayers composed of pure materials, where a jump in this modulus was related with the onset of percolation as a result of the establishment of a connected structure at the molecular level. In this work, we focused on monolayers composed of two components of low lateral miscibility. Our aim was to investigate the compressibility of mixed monolayers at pressures and compositions in the two-phase region of the phase diagram, in order to analyze the effect of the mechanical properties of each phase on the stiffness of the composite. In nine different systems with distinct molecular dipoles and charges, the stiffness of each phase and the texture at the plane of the monolayer were studied. In this way, we were able to analyze the general compressibility of two-phase lipid monolayers, regardless of the properties of their constituent parts. The results are discussed in the light of the following two hypotheses: first, the stiffness of the composite could be dominated by the stiffness of each phase as a weighted sum according to the percentage of each phase area, regardless of the distribution of the phases in the plane of the monolayer. Alternatively, the stiffness of the composite could be dominated by the mechanical properties of the continuous phase. Our results were better explained by this latter proposal, as in all the analyzed mixtures it was found that the mechanical properties of the percolating phase were the determining factors. The value of the compression modulus was closer to the value of the connected phase than to that of the dispersed phase, indicating that the bidimensional composites displayed mechanical properties that were related to the properties of each phases in a rather complex manner.

Molecular determinants for the line tension of coexisting liquid phases in monolayers

The line tension (λ) in biphasic membranes has been determined in monolayers and bilayers using a variety of techniques. In this work we present a novel approach to the determination of λ in monolayers with liquid/liquid phase coexistence, overcoming several of the drawbacks of current techniques. Using our method, we determined the line tension of liquid/liquid phases in binary mixtures of different lipids and a molecule similar to cholesterol but less oxidizable. We analyzed the effect of the hydrocarbon chain length and the polar head-group of the non-sterol lipid and found the latter to exert much more influence than the former. The presence of PE led to high λ values, PG to low values and PS and PC to intermediate values. The line tension showed a strong correlation with the critical packing parameter of the phospholipid. The spontaneous curvature displayed by the phases constituted by a particular lipid appears to be an important parameter for determining the line tension in mixed films.

Surface phase behavior and domain topography of ascorbyl palmitate monolayers

Ascorbyl palmitate (ASC(16)) is a molecule of potential pharmacological interest due to its antioxidant properties and amphiphilic nature. The surface behavior of ASC(16) was studied using Langmuir monolayers and Brewster angle microscopy. This molecule formed stable monolayers at room temperature that showed phase transition from a liquid-expanded to liquid-condensed or crystalline phase, depending on the subphase conditions. Using a theoretical approach, we were able to explain the behavior of the ASC(16) film at different bulk pH values and salt conditions based on the surface pH and the dissociation fraction of the film. Both condensed phases corresponded to highly packed conditions with the crystalline phase occurring at a low charge density, showing molecular tilting and preferential growth at characteristic angles, while the liquid-condensed phase formed in highly charged surfaces revealed small flowerlike domains probably as a consequence of internal dipole repulsion. A smaller perpendicular dipole moment was observed for the crystalline than the liquid-condensed phase which may explain the domain features. In conclusion, ASC(16) showed a complex surface behavior that was highly sensitive to subphase conditions.

Electrostatic field effects on membrane domain segregation and on lateral diffusion

Natural membranes are organized structures of neutral and charged molecules bearing dipole moments which generate local non-homogeneous electric fields. When subjected to such fields, the molecules experience net forces that can modify the lipid and protein organization, thus modulating cell activities and influencing (or even dominating) the biological functions. The energetics of electrostatic interactions in membranes is a long-range effect which can vary over distance within r^-1 to r^-3. In the case of a dipole interacting with a plane of dipoles, e.g. a protein interacting with a lipid domain, the interaction is stronger than two punctual dipoles and depends on the size of the domain. In this article, we review several contributions on how electrostatic interactions in the membrane plane can modulate the phase behavior, surface topography and mechanical properties in monolayers and bilayers.

Phase diagram of mixed monolayers of stearic acid and dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine. Effect of the acid ionization

The aim of this work is to study the phase diagram of mixed monolayers composed of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and stearic acid (SA) at different ionic strength and bulk pH of the aqueous subphase. In this way, the effect of ionization of SA on the interaction and thus on phase separation with the DMPC matrix can be analyzed. To this purpose, we first determined the ionization state of pure SA monolayers as a function of the bulk subphase pH. The SA monolayers are nearly fully ionized at pH 10 and essentially neutral at pH 4 and the mixture of DMPC and SA was studied at those two pHs. We found that the DMPC-enriched phase admits more SA if the SA monolayer is in a liquid-expanded state, which is highly related to the acid ionization state, and thus to the bulk pH and ionic strength. At pH 4 the molecules hardly mix while at pH 10 the mixed monolayer with DMPC can admit between 30 and 100% of SA (depending on the lateral pressure) before phase separation is established. The addition of calcium ions to the subphase has a condensing effect on SA monolayers at all pHs and the solubility of SA in the DMPC matrix does not depend on the bulk pH in these conditions. The observed phase diagrams are independent on the manner in which the state of the mixed film is reached and may thus be considered states of apparent equilibrium.

Redox-active tyrosine residue in the microcin J25 molecule

Microcin J25 (MccJ25) is a 21 amino acid lasso-peptide antibiotic produced by Escherichia coli and composed of an 8-residues ring and a terminal 'tail' passing through the ring. We have previously reported two cellular targets for this antibiotic, bacterial RNA polymerase and the membrane respiratory chain, and shown that Tyr9 is essential for the effect on the membrane respiratory chain which leads to superoxide overproduction. In the present paper we investigated the redox behavior of MccJ25 and the mutant MccJ25 (Y9F). Cyclic voltammetry measurements showed irreversible oxidation of both Tyr9 and Tyr20 in MccJ25, but infrared spectroscopy studies demonstrated that only Tyr9 could be deprotonated upon chemical oxidation in solution. Formation of a long-lived tyrosyl radical in the native MccJ25 oxidized by H₂O₂ was demonstrated by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; this radical was not detected when the reaction was carried out with the MccJ25 (Y9F) mutant. These results show that the essential Tyr9, but not Tyr20, can be easily oxidized and form a tyrosyl radical.

Rheological properties of a two phase lipid monolayer at the air/water interface: effect of the composition of the mixture

Many biologically relevant monolayers show coexistence of discrete domains of a long-range ordered condensed phase dispersed in a continuous, disordered, liquid-expanded phase. In this work, we determined the viscous and elastic components of the compressibility modulus and the shear viscosity of monolayers exhibiting phase coexistence with the aim at elucidating the contribution of each phase to the observed monolayer mechanical properties. To this purpose, mixed monolayers with different proportions of distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC) and dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) were prepared and their rheological properties were analyzed. The relationship between the phase diagram of the mixture at 10 mN m(-1) and the rheological properties was studied. We found that the monolayer shear viscosity is highly dependent on the presence of domains and on the domain density. In turn, the monolayer compressibility is only influenced by the presence of domains for high domain densities. For monolayers that look homogeneous on the micrometer scale (DSPC amount lower that 23 mol %), all the analyzed rheological properties remain similar to those observed for pure DMPC monolayers, indicating that in this proportion range the DSPC molecules contribute as DMPC to the surface rheology in spite of having hydrocarbon chains four carbons longer.