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Norlén L. Molecular Organization of the Skin Barrier. Acta Derm Venereol 2023; 103:adv13356. [PMID: 37987626 PMCID: PMC10680981 DOI: 10.2340/actadv.v103.13356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryo-electron microscopy of vitreous sections allows for investigation directly in situ of the molecular architecture of skin. Recently, this technique has contributed to the elucidation of the molecular organization of the skin's permeability barrier and its stepwise formation process. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the procedure for cryo-electron microscopy of vitreous sections, its analysis using atomic detail molecular dynamics modelling and electron microscopy simulation, and its application in the investigation of the barrier structure and formation process of the skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Norlén
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology (CMB), Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
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2
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Ri JS, Choe CS, Choe SH, Jong KH, Hong SN, Schleusener J, Lademann J, Darvin ME. Lycopene, but not zeaxanthin, serves as a skeleton for the formation of an orthorhombic organization of intercellular lipids within the lamellae in the stratum corneum: Molecular dynamics simulations of the hydrated ceramide NS bilayer model. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2023; 1865:184081. [PMID: 36342013 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2022.184081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoids play an important role in the protection of biomembranes against oxidative damage. Their function depends on the surroundings and the organization of the lipid membrane they are embedded in. Carotenoids are located parallel or perpendicular to the surface of the lipid bilayer. The influence of carotenoids on the organization of the lipid bilayer in the stratum corneum has not been thoroughly considered. Here, the orientation of the exemplary cutaneous carotenoids lycopene and zeaxanthin in a hydrated ceramide NS24 bilayer model and the influence of carotenoids on the lateral organization of the lipid bilayer model were studied by means of molecular dynamics simulations for 32 °C and 37 °C. The results confirm that lycopene is located parallel and zeaxanthin perpendicular to the surface of the lipid bilayer. The lycopene-loaded lipid bilayer appeared to have a strong orthorhombic organization, while zeaxanthin-loaded and pure lipid bilayers were organized in a disordered hexagonal-like and liquid-like state, respectively. The effect is stronger at 32 °C compared to 37 °C based on p-values. Therefore, it was assumed that carotenoids without hydroxyl polar groups in their structure facilitate the formation of the orthorhombic organization of lipids, which provides the skin barrier function. It was shown that the distance between carotenoid atoms matched the distance between atoms in the lipids, indicating that parallel located carotenoids without hydroxyl groups serve as a skeleton for lipid membranes inside the lamellae. The obtained results provide reasonable prediction of the overall qualitative properties of lipid model systems and show the importance of parallel-oriented carotenoids in the development and maintenance of the skin barrier function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Song Ri
- Faculty of Materials Science, Kim Il Sung University, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
| | - Chun-Sik Choe
- Faculty of Materials Science, Kim Il Sung University, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
| | - Se-Hyok Choe
- Faculty of Materials Science, Kim Il Sung University, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang-Hyok Jong
- Faculty of Physics, Kim Il Sung University, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
| | - Song-Nam Hong
- Faculty of Materials Science, Kim Il Sung University, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
| | - Johannes Schleusener
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Dermatology, Venerology and Allergology, Center of Experimental and Applied Cutaneous Physiology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Juergen Lademann
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Dermatology, Venerology and Allergology, Center of Experimental and Applied Cutaneous Physiology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Maxim E Darvin
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Dermatology, Venerology and Allergology, Center of Experimental and Applied Cutaneous Physiology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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Sahu S, Schwindt NS, Coscia BJ, Shirts MR. Obtaining and Characterizing Stable Bicontinuous Cubic Morphologies and Their Nanochannels in Lyotropic Liquid Crystal Membranes. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:10098-10110. [PMID: 36417348 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c06119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Amphiphilic monomers in polar solvents can self-assemble into lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) bicontinuous cubic structures under the right composition and temperature conditions. After cross-linking, the resulting polymer membranes with three-dimensional (3D) continuous uniform channels are excellent candidates for filtration applications. Designing such membranes with the desired physical and chemical properties requires molecular-level understanding of the structure, which can be obtained through molecular modeling. However, building molecular models of bicontinuous cubic structures is challenging due to their narrow regime of stability and the difficulty of self-assembly of large unit cells in molecular simulations. We developed a protocol for building stable bicontinuous cubic unit cells involving both parameterization and assembly of the components. We validate the theoretical structure against experimental results for one such LLC monomer and provide insight into the structure missing in experimental data, as well as demonstrate the qualitative nature of water and solute transport through these membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subin Sahu
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado80309, United States
| | - Nathanael S Schwindt
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado80309, United States
| | - Benjamin J Coscia
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado80309, United States
| | - Michael R Shirts
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado80309, United States
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The Skin's Barrier: A Cryo-EM Based Overview of its Architecture and Stepwise Formation. J Invest Dermatol 2021; 142:285-292. [PMID: 34474746 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2021.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
A major role of the skin is to serve as a barrier toward the environment. The skin's permeability barrier consists of a lipid structure positioned in the stratum corneum. Recent progress in high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has allowed for elucidation of the architecture of the skin's barrier and its stepwise formation process representing the final stage of epidermal differentiation. In this review, we present an overview of the skin's barrier structure and its formation process, as evidenced by cryo-EM.
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Narangifard A, Wennberg CL, den Hollander L, Iwai I, Han H, Lundborg M, Masich S, Lindahl E, Daneholt B, Norlén L. Molecular Reorganization during the Formation of the Human Skin Barrier Studied In Situ. J Invest Dermatol 2021; 141:1243-1253.e6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2020.07.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Gutowska-Owsiak D, Podobas EI, Eggeling C, Ogg GS, Bernardino de la Serna J. Addressing Differentiation in Live Human Keratinocytes by Assessment of Membrane Packing Order. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:573230. [PMID: 33195206 PMCID: PMC7609878 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.573230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Differentiation of keratinocytes is critical for epidermal stratification and formation of a protective stratum corneum. It involves a series of complex processes leading through gradual changes in characteristics and functions of keratinocytes up to their programmed cell death via cornification. The stratum corneum is a relatively impermeable barrier, comprised of dead cell remnants (corneocytes) embedded in lipid matrix. Corneocyte membranes are comprised of specialized lipids linked to late differentiation proteins, contributing to the formation of a stiff and mechanically strengthened layer. To date, the assessment of the progression of keratinocyte differentiation is only possible through determination of specific differentiation markers, e.g., by using proteomics-based approaches. Unfortunately, this requires fixation or cell lysis, and currently there is no robust methodology available to study keratinocyte differentiation in living cells in real-time. Here, we explore new live-cell based approaches for screening differentiation advancement in keratinocytes, in a "calcium switch" model. We employ a polarity-sensitive dye, Laurdan, and Laurdan general polarization function (GP) as a reporter of the degree of membrane lateral packing order or condensation, as an adequate marker of differentiation. We show that the assay is straightforward and can be conducted either on a single cell level using confocal spectral imaging or on the ensemble level using a fluorescence plate reader. Such systematic quantification may become useful for understanding mechanisms of keratinocyte differentiation, such as the role of membrane in homogeneities in stiffness, and for future therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danuta Gutowska-Owsiak
- University of Gdansk, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Medical Research Council Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ewa I. Podobas
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Christian Eggeling
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Medical Research Council Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Institute of Applied Optics and Biophysics, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technologies e.V., Jena, Germany
| | - Graham S. Ogg
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Medical Research Council Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jorge Bernardino de la Serna
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Medical Research Council Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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7
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Buslaev P, Mustafin K, Gushchin I. Principal component analysis highlights the influence of temperature, curvature and cholesterol on conformational dynamics of lipids. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183253. [PMID: 32142820 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Membrane lipids are inherently highly dynamic molecules. Currently, it is difficult to probe the structures of individual lipids experimentally at the timescales corresponding to atomic motions, and consequently molecular dynamics simulations are used widely. In our previous work, we have introduced the principal component analysis (PCA) as a convenient framework for comprehensive quantitative description of lipid motions. Here, we present a newly developed open source script, PCAlipids, which automates the analysis and allows us to refine the approach and test its limitations. We use PCAlipids to determine the influence of temperature, cholesterol and curvature on individual lipids, and show that the most prominent lipid tail scissoring motion is strongly affected by these factors and allows tracking of phase transition. Addition of cholesterol affects the conformations and selectively changes the dynamics of lipid molecules, impacting the large-amplitude motions. Introduction of curvature biases the conformational ensembles towards more extended structures. We hope that the developed approach will be useful for understanding the molecular basis of different processes occurring in lipid membrane systems and will stimulate development of complementary experimental techniques probing the conformations of individual lipid molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Buslaev
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia.
| | - K Mustafin
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - I Gushchin
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia.
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8
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MacDermaid CM, Hall KW, DeVane RH, Klein ML, Fiorin G. Coexistence of Lipid Phases Stabilizes Interstitial Water in the Outer Layer of Mammalian Skin. Biophys J 2020; 118:1588-1601. [PMID: 32101711 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.01.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The lipid matrix in the outer layer of mammalian skin, the stratum corneum, has been previously investigated by multiple biophysical techniques aimed at identifying hydrophilic and lipophilic pathways of permeation. Although consensus is developing over the microscopic structure of the lipid matrix, no molecular-resolution model describes the permeability of all chemical species simultaneously. Using molecular dynamics simulations of a model mixture of skin lipids, the self-assembly of the lipid matrix lamellae has been studied. At higher humidity, the resulting lamellar phase is maintained by partitioning excess water into isolated droplets of controlled size and spatial distribution. The droplets may fuse together to form intralamellar water channels, thereby providing a pathway for the permeation of hydrophilic species. These results reconcile competing data on the outer skin's structure and broaden the scope of molecular-based methods to improve the safety of topical products and to advance transdermal drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M MacDermaid
- Institute for Computational Molecular Science and Temple Materials Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Kyle Wm Hall
- Institute for Computational Molecular Science and Temple Materials Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Michael L Klein
- Institute for Computational Molecular Science and Temple Materials Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Giacomo Fiorin
- Institute for Computational Molecular Science and Temple Materials Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Marrink SJ, Corradi V, Souza PC, Ingólfsson HI, Tieleman DP, Sansom MS. Computational Modeling of Realistic Cell Membranes. Chem Rev 2019; 119:6184-6226. [PMID: 30623647 PMCID: PMC6509646 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 432] [Impact Index Per Article: 86.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cell membranes contain a large variety of lipid types and are crowded with proteins, endowing them with the plasticity needed to fulfill their key roles in cell functioning. The compositional complexity of cellular membranes gives rise to a heterogeneous lateral organization, which is still poorly understood. Computational models, in particular molecular dynamics simulations and related techniques, have provided important insight into the organizational principles of cell membranes over the past decades. Now, we are witnessing a transition from simulations of simpler membrane models to multicomponent systems, culminating in realistic models of an increasing variety of cell types and organelles. Here, we review the state of the art in the field of realistic membrane simulations and discuss the current limitations and challenges ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siewert J. Marrink
- Groningen
Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute & Zernike Institute
for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Valentina Corradi
- Centre
for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Paulo C.T. Souza
- Groningen
Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute & Zernike Institute
for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Helgi I. Ingólfsson
- Biosciences
and Biotechnology Division, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - D. Peter Tieleman
- Centre
for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Mark S.P. Sansom
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, U.K.
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Wang E, Klauda JB. Models for the Stratum Corneum Lipid Matrix: Effects of Ceramide Concentration, Ceramide Hydroxylation, and Free Fatty Acid Protonation. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:11996-12008. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b06188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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