Lyso- and omega-3-containing phosphatidylcholines alter the bending elasticity of lipid membranes

Glycerophospholipid polyunsaturation modulates resveratrol action on biomimetic membranes

The phytoalexin resveratrol has received increasing attention for its potential to prevent oxidative damages in human organism. To shed further light on molecular mechanisms of its interaction with lipid membranes we study resveratrol influence on the organisation and mechanical properties of biomimetic lipid systems composed of synthetic phosphatidylcholines with mixed aliphatic chains and different degree of unsaturation at sn-2 position (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, POPC, and 1-palmitoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, PDPC). High-sensitivity isothermal titration calorimetric measurements reveal stronger spontaneous resveratrol association to polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine bilayers compared to the monounsaturated ones resulting from hydrophobic interactions, conformational changes of the interacting species and desolvation of molecular surfaces. The latter is supported by the results from Laurdan spectroscopy of large unilamellar vesicles providing data on hydration at the glycerol backbones of glycerophospholipides. Higher degree of lipid order is reported for POPC membranes compared to PDPC. While resveratrol mostly enhances the hydration of PDPC membranes, increasing POPC dehydration is reported upon treatment with the polyphenol. Dehydration of the polyunsaturated lipid bilayers is measured only at the highest phytoalexin content studied (resveratrol/lipid 0.5 mol/mol) and is less pronounced than the effect reported for POPC membranes. The polyphenol effect on membrane mechanics is probed by thermal shape fluctuation analysis of quasispherical giant unilamellar vesicles. Markedly different trend of the bending elasticity with increasing resveratrol concentration is reported for the two types of phospholipid bilayers studied. POPC membranes become more rigid in the presence of resveratrol, whereas PDPC-containing bilayers exhibit softening at lower concentrations of the polyphenol followed by a slight growth without bilayer stiffening even at the highest resveratrol content explored. The new data on the structural organization and membrane properties of resveratrol-treated phosphatidylcholine membranes may underpin the development of future liposomal applications of the polyphenol in medicinal chemistry.

The impact of lipid polyunsaturation on the physical and mechanical properties of lipid membranes

The lipid composition of cellular membranes and the balance between the different lipid components can be impacted by aging, certain pathologies, specific diets and other factors. This is the case in a subgroup of individuals with psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, where cell membranes of patients have been shown to be deprived in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), not only in brain areas where the target receptors are expressed but also in peripheral tissues. This PUFA deprivation thus represents a biomarker of such disorders that might impact not only the interaction of antipsychotic medications with these membranes but also the activation and signaling of the targeted receptors embedded in the lipid membrane. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how PUFAs levels alterations modulate the different physical properties of membranes. In this paper, several biophysical approaches were combined (Laurdan fluorescence spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, molecular modeling) to characterize membrane properties such as fluidity, elasticity and thickness in PUFA-enriched cell membranes and lipid model systems reflecting the PUFA imbalance observed in some diseases. The impact of both the number of unsaturations and their position along the chain on the above properties was investigated. Briefly, data revealed that PUFA presence in membranes increases membrane fluidity, elasticity and flexibility and decreases its thickness and order parameter. Both the level of unsaturation and their position affect these membrane properties.

EPA and DHA differentially modulate membrane elasticity in the presence of cholesterol

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) modify the activity of a wide range of membrane proteins and are increasingly hypothesized to modulate protein activity by indirectly altering membrane physical properties. Among the various physical properties affected by PUFAs, the membrane area expansion modulus (K_a), which measures membrane strain in response to applied force, is expected to be a significant controller of channel activity. Yet, the impact of PUFAs on membrane K_a has not been measured previously. Through a series of micropipette aspiration studies, we measured the apparent K_a (K_app) of phospholipid model membranes containing nonesterified fatty acids. First, we measured membrane K_app as a function of the location of the unsaturated bonds and degree of unsaturation in the incorporated fatty acids and found that K_app generally decreases in the presence of fatty acids with three or more unsaturated bonds. Next, we assessed how select ω-3 PUFAs, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), affect the K_app of membranes containing cholesterol. In vesicles prepared with high amounts of cholesterol, which should increase the propensity of the membrane to phase segregate, we found that inclusion of DHA decreases the K_app in comparison to EPA. We also measured how these ω-3 PUFAs affect membrane fluidity and bending rigidity to determine how membrane K_app changes in relation to these other physical properties. Our study shows that PUFAs generally decrease the K_app of membranes and that EPA and DHA have differential effects on K_app when membranes contain higher levels of cholesterol. Our results suggest membrane phase behavior and the distribution of membrane-elasticizing amphiphiles impact the ability of a membrane to stretch.

Phospholipase A2-Induced Remodeling Processes on Liquid-Ordered/Liquid-Disordered Membranes Containing Docosahexaenoic or Oleic Acid: A Comparison Study

Vesicle cycling, which is an important biological event, involves the interplay between membrane lipids and proteins, among which the enzyme phospholipase A2 (PLA2) plays a critical role. The capacity of PLA2 to trigger the budding and fission of liquid-ordered (L(o)) domains has been examined in palmitoyl-docosahexaenoylphosphatidylcholine (PDPC) and palmitoyl-oleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC)/sphingomyelin/cholesterol membranes. They both exhibited a L(o)/liquid-disordered (L(d)) phase separation. We demonstrated that PLA2 was able to trigger budding in PDPC-containing vesicles but not POPC ones. The enzymatic activity, line tension, and elasticity of the membrane surrounding the L(o) domains are critical for budding. The higher line tension of Lo domains in PDPC mixtures was assigned to the greater difference in order parameters of the coexisting phases. The higher amount of lysophosphatidylcholine generated by PLA2 in the PDPC-containing mixtures led to a less-rigid membrane, compared to POPC. The more elastic L(d) membranes in PDPC mixtures exert a lower counteracting force against the L(o) domain bending.

Mechanical and molecular basis for the symmetrical division of the fission yeast nuclear envelope

In fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the nuclear envelope remains intact throughout mitosis and undergoes a series of symmetrical morphological changes when the spindle pole bodies (SPBs), embedded in the nuclear envelope, are pushed apart by elongating spindle microtubules. These symmetrical membrane shape transformations do not correspond to the shape behavior of an analogous system based on lipid vesicles. Here we report that the symmetry of the dividing fission yeast nucleus is ensured by SPB-chromosome attachments, as loss of kinetochore clustering in the vicinity of SPBs results in the formation of abnormal asymmetric shapes with long membrane tethers. We integrated these findings in a biophysical model, which explains the symmetry of the nuclear shapes on the basis of forces exerted by chromosomes clustered at SPBs on the extending nuclear envelope. Based on this analysis we conclude that the fission yeast nuclear envelope exhibits the same mechanical properties as simple lipid vesicles, but interactions with other cellular components, such as chromosomes, influence the nuclear shape during mitosis, allowing the formation of otherwise energetically unfavorable symmetrical dumbbell structures upon spindle elongation. The model allows us to explain the appearance of abnormal asymmetric shapes in fission yeast mutants with mis-segregated chromosomes as well as with altered nuclear membrane composition.

LeciPlex, invasomes, and liposomes: A skin penetration study

The present study compares three vesicular systems, cationic LeciPlex, invasomes, and conventional liposomes for their ability to deliver drugs deep into the skin. Skin penetration ability of the three vesicular systems was studied for two drugs namely idebenone (antioxidant/anticancer) and azelaic acid (antiacne). All systems showed sizes in nanometer range with small polydispersity indices. Vesicular systems were characterized by CryoTEM studies to understand the differences in morphology of the vesicular systems. Ex vivo human skin penetration studies suggested a pattern in penetration of drugs in different layers of the skin: LeciPlex showed higher penetration for idebenone whereas invasomes showed higher penetration of azelaic acid. Ex vivo study using a fluorescent dye (DiI) was performed to understand the differences in the penetration behavior of the three vesicular systems on excised human skin. In vitro cytotoxicity studies on B16F10 melanoma cell lines revealed, when loaded with idebenone, LeciPlex formulations had the superior activity followed by invasomes and liposomes. In vitro antimicrobial study of azelaic acid loaded systems on Propionibacterium acne revealed high antimicrobial activity for DDAB leciplex followed by almost equal activity for invasomes and CTAB LeciPlex followed by liposomes. Whereas antiacne efficacy study in rats for azelaic acid loaded systems, invasomes exhibited the best antiacne efficacy followed by liposomes and LeciPlex.