Lipid oxidation deletes the nanodomain organization of artificial membranes

Computer simulations suggest a key role of membranous nanodomains in biliary lipid secretion

The bile fluid contains various lipids that are secreted at the canalicular membrane of hepatocytes. As the secretion mechanism is still a matter of debate and a direct experimental observation of the secretion process is not possible so far, we used a mathematical model to simulate the extraction of the major bile lipids cholesterol, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin from the outer leaflet of the canalicular membrane. Lipid diffusion was modeled as random movement on a triangular lattice governed by next-neighbor interaction energies. Phase separation in liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered domains was modeled by assigning two alternative ordering states to each lipid species and minimization of next-neighbor ordering energies. Parameterization of the model was performed such that experimentally determined diffusion rates and phases in ternary lipid mixtures of model membranes were correctly recapitulated. The model describes the spontaneous formation of nanodomains in the external leaflet of the canalicular membrane in a time window between 0.1 ms to 10 ms at varying lipid proportions. The extraction of lipid patches from the bile salt soluble nanodomain into the bile reproduced observed biliary phospholipid compositions for a physiologi-cal membrane composition. Comparing the outcome of model simulations with available experi-mental observations clearly favors the extraction of tiny membrane patches composed of about 100–400 lipids as the likely mechanism of biliary lipid secretion.

Formation of the bile is one of the central functions of the liver. The bile fluid aids in the digestion of edible fats and removal of drugs and toxins from the body. The bile fluid is mainly composed of bile salts (BS), phosphatidylcholine (PC) and cholesterol (CH) in a fairly fixed proportion that prevents liver impairment by gallstone formation or cholestasis. During bile formation, BS are actively pumped out of the hepatocyte into the extracellular space where they extract PC and CH from the canalicular membrane. This extraction process bears the risk for the canalicular membrane to be destructed. Hence, only a certain fraction of the membrane should be accessible to the solubilizing activity of BS. We have developed a mathematical model that describes the temporal formation of CH-enriched ordered and PC-enriched disordered nanodomains in the canalicular membrane. Model simulations reveal that the disordered nanodomains exhibit a composition of PC and CH similar to that also found in the bile. From this finding and the good concordance of model simulations with experimental data we conclude that PC and CH are mainly secreted into the bile from the disordered nanodomain. Our work adds a new layer of physiological importance to the spontaneous formation of lipid domains in biological membranes.

Pairing of cholesterol with oxidized phospholipid species in lipid bilayers

We claim that (1) cholesterol protects bilayers from disruption caused by lipid oxidation by sequestering conical shaped oxidized lipid species such as 1-palmitoyl-2-azelaoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PZPC) away from phospholipid, because cholesterol and the oxidized lipid have complementary shapes and (2) mixtures of cholesterol and oxidized lipids can self-assemble into bilayers much like lysolipid–cholesterol mixtures. The evidence for bilayer protection comes from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. Unimodal size distributions of extruded vesicles (LUVETs) made up of a mixture of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) and PZPC containing high amounts of PZPC are only obtained when cholesterol is present in high concentrations. In simulations, bilayers containing high amounts of PZPC become porous, unless cholesterol is also present. The protective effect of cholesterol on oxidized lipids has been observed previously using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and electron microscopy imaging of vesicles. The evidence for the pairing of cholesterol and PZPC comes mainly from correlated 2-D density and thickness plots from simulations, which show that these two molecules co-localize in bilayers. Further evidence that the two molecules can cohabitate comes from self-assembly simulations, where we show that cholesterol-oxidized lipid mixtures can form lamellar phases at specific concentrations, reminiscent of lysolipid–cholesterol mixtures. The additivity of the packing parameters of cholesterol and PZPC explains their cohabitation in a planar bilayer. Oxidized lipids are ubiquitously present in significant amounts in high- and low-density lipoprotein (HDL and LDL) particles, diseased tissues, and in model phospholipid mixtures containing polyunsaturated lipids. Therefore, our hypothesis has important consequences for cellular cholesterol trafficking; diseases related to oxidized lipids, and to biophysical studies of phase behaviour of cholesterol-containing phospholipid mixtures.

Defects in ordered aggregates of cardiolipin visualized by atomic force microscopy

The formation and the nature of defects in ordered aggregates of cardiolipin (tetra acyl diphosphatidylglycerol) supported on solid substrates have been investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The experiments were performed on two model systems, i.e. three-dimensional liquid crystals dispersed in water and partially de-hydrated on a hydrophilic surface, and two-dimensional films of molecules self-assembled onto an isotropic hydrophobic surface. Defects were induced both by varying the preparation temperature and by treatment with specific chemicals known to modify the order parameters in natural and artificial membranes, specifically: 2,4-dinitro-phenol (DNP) and pentachloro-phenol (PCP). The effect of lipid oxidation on the nanocrystalline order was also investigated. The images obtained by AFM allow to characterize the type of defects and their local density at nanoscale level. They also provide additional information to differentiate the specific role of acyl chains and polar heads in the process of lipid self-organization.

UV-induced reaction kinetics in dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine monolayers with incorporated photosensitizers

Mixed insoluble monolayers (Langmuir films) of 1,2-di-O-linoleoyl-3-sn-phosphatidylcholine (1,2-DLPC) and incorporated benzophenone-type photosensitizers at an air-water interface were exposed to prolonged UV-irradiation. The irradiation was initiated at a particular fixed molecular packing value. Changes of the surface pressure during the UV-induced photolysis of the sensitizers were plotted against the irradiation time and the results were interpreted in terms of the molecular lipid/sensitizer ratios inside the monolayers.

Flavonoid-membrane interactions: possible consequences for biological effects of some polyphenolic compounds

Flavonoids are found ubiquitously in higher plants and constitute an important component of the majority of people daily diets. The biological activities of flavonoids cover a very broad spectrum, from anticancer and antibacterial activities through to inhibition of bone resorption. In the present paper, the interactions between flavonoids and lipid bilayers as well as biological membranes and their components are reviewed, with special emphasis on the structure-activity relationships and mechanisms underlying the biological activity of flavonoids.

Use of the fluorescent dye 10-N-nonyl acridine orange in quantitative and location assays of cardiolipin: a study on different experimental models

The fluorescent dye 10-N-nonyl acridine orange (NAO) is extensively used for location and quantitative assays of cardiolipin in living cells on the assumption of its high specificity for cardiolipin; however, the limits and the mechanism of this specificity are not clear. Moreover, whether factors such as the membrane potential in mitochondria may limit the consistency of the results obtained by this method is open to discussion. The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of some experimental factors on the selective fluorescence of NAO in the presence of cardiolipin in artificial and natural membranes (mitochondria). The results show that the fluorescence of NAO, due to interaction with cardiolipin, is significantly modified by factors that control the spatial arrangement of cardiolipin molecules within the space of the membrane under investigation. Moreover, the present observations suggest that the specific effect of cardiolipin is to facilitate the dimerization of this fluorescent dye, thus confirming that reliable measurements of cardiolipin concentration can be obtained only when the NAO/cardiolipin molar ratio is equal to 2. The finding is also reported that in isolated respiring mitochondria the interaction of NAO with cardiolipin is somewhat related to the respiratory state of mitochondria.

Photochemistry of aromatic ketones in sodium dodecyl sulphate micelles in the presence of unsaturated fatty acids

Laser-flash photolysis has been employed to characterize the behaviour of the free radicals created in the photochemical reaction of benzophenone (BZP), as well as of its lipoidal derivative, benzophenone-4-heptyl-4?-pentanoic acid (BHPA), with chosen unsaturated fatty acids in sodium dodecyl sulphate micelles. The calculated rate constants were used to study the "cage effect" i.e., the recombination of the created radical-pairs (BZP, BHPA ketyl radical - lipid radical) inside the highly limited space of the SDS micelles. The "cage effect" appears to be the dominant event inside SDS micelles, dependent on the structure of both the reactants-precursors. The fractions of the initially created radical-pairs which escape the "cage effect" and exit into the surrounding aqueous phase do not exceed 16 %. This fact is of enormous importance for the self-control of the pathogenic process of lipid peroxidation.