Phase Behavior of a Designed Cyclopropyl Analogue of Monoolein: Implications for Low-Temperature Membrane Protein Crystallization

Controlling Protein Enrichment in Lipid Sponge Phase Droplets using SNAP-tag Bioconjugation

All cells use organized lipid compartments to facilitate specific biological functions. Membrane-bound organelles create defined spatial environments that favor unique chemical reactions while isolating incompatible biological processes. Despite the fundamental role of cellular organelles, there is a scarcity of methods for preparing functional artificial lipid-based compartments. Here, we demonstrate a robust bioconjugation system for sequestering proteins into zwitterionic lipid sponge phase droplets. Incorporation of benzylguanine (BG)-modified phospholipids that form stable covalent linkages with an O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (SNAP-tag) fusion protein enables programmable control of protein capture. We show that this methodology can be used to anchor hydrophilic proteins at the lipid-aqueous interface, concentrating them within an accessible but protected chemical environment. SNAP-tag technology enables the integration of proteins that regulate complex biological functions in lipid sponge phase droplets, and should facilitate the development of advanced lipid-based artificial organelles.

Interaction of anions with lipid cubic phase membranes, an electrochemical impedance study

HYPOTHESIS

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is useful to monitor anionic interactions with a Lipid Cubic Phase, as previously demonstrated for cationic interaction (Khani Meynaq et al., 2016). It was expected that the smaller hydrophilic anions, acetate and chloride, would interact differently than the large tryptophan anion with its hydrophobic tail.

EXPERIMENT

The impedance measurements enabled estimation of resistances and capacitances of a freestanding lipid cubic phase membrane at exposure to 4 and 40 mM solutions of NaCl, NaOAc and NaTrp. Small-angle X-ray scattering was used for cubic phase identification and to track structural changes within the cubic phase when exposed to the different electrolytes.

FINDINGS

The membrane resistance increases at exposure to the electrolytes in the order Cl^- < OAc^- < Trp^-. The membrane resistance decreases with time at exposure to the hydrophilic anions and increases with time at Trp^- exposure. The membrane capacitances were lower for NaTrp compared to NaCl and NaOAc at the corresponding concentrations which is consistent with the results from SAXRD. It is concluded that Trp^- ions do not enter the aqueous channels of the cubic phase but are strongly adsorbed to the membrane/electrolyte interface leading to large alteration of the lipid phase structure and a high membrane resistance.

Tunable Self-Assembly of Diblock Copolymers into Colloidal Particles with Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces

We herein report the tunable self-assembly of simple block copolymers, namely polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) diblock copolymers, into porous cubosomes with inverse Im3‾m or Pn3‾m mesophases of controlled unit cell parameters as well as hexasomes with an inverse hexagonal (p6mm) structure, which have been rarely observed in polymer self-assembly. A new morphological phase diagram was constructed for the solution self-assembly of PS-b-PEO based on the volume fraction of the PS block against the initial copolymer concentration. The formation mechanisms of the cubosomes and hexasomes have also been revealed. This study not only affords a simple system for the controllable preparation and fundamental studies of ordered bicontinuous structures, but also opens up a new avenue towards porous architectures with highly ordered pores.