Spectroscopic and permeation studies of phospholipid bilayers supported by a soft hydrogel scaffold

Infrared and fluorescence spectroscopic studies of a phospholipid bilayer supported by a soft cationic hydrogel scaffold

Polarized attenuated total reflection (ATR-IR) spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy techniques were used to characterize a 1,2-diphytanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPhPC) membrane supported on porous, cationic hydrogel beads. Fluorescence microscopy images showed that the DPhPC coated the external surface of the hydrogel scaffold. In addition, a fluorescence assay of the emission intensity of the Tb(3+)/dipicolinic acid complex demonstrated that the DPhPC coating acted as a barrier to Tb(3+) efflux from the scaffolded vesicle and successfully sealed the porous hydrogel bead. Fluorescence quenching and ATR-IR spectroscopic measurements revealed that the lipid coating has a bilayer structure. The phytanoyl chains were found to exhibit significant trans-gauche isomerization, characteristic of the fluid liquid phase. However, no lipid lateral mobility was observed by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) measurements. The phosphocholine headgroup was found to be well hydrated and oriented such that the cationic choline group tucked in behind the anionic phosphate group, consistent with an electrostatic attraction between the cationic scaffold and zwitterionic lipid. The absence of lipid lateral mobility may be due to the strength of this attraction.

Surface-Enhanced Infrared Spectroscopy and Neutron Reflectivity Studies of Ubiquinone in Hybrid Bilayer Membranes under Potential Control

Surface-enhanced infrared adsorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) and neutron reflectometry (NR) were employed to characterize ubiquinone (UQ) containing hybrid bilayer membranes. The biomimetic membrane was prepared by fusing phospholipid vesicles on a hydrophobic octadecanethiol monolayer self-assembled on a thin gold film. Using SEIRAS, the assembly of the membrane is monitored in situ. The presence of ubiquinone is verified by the characteristic carbonyl peaks from the quinone ester. A well-ordered distal lipid leaflet results from fusion of vesicles with and without the addition of ubiquinone. With applied potential, the hybrid bilayer membrane in the absence of UQ behaves in the same way as previously reported solid supported phospholipid membranes. When ubiquinone is incorporated in the membrane, electric field induced changes in the distal leaflet are suppressed. Changes in the infrared vibrations of the ubiquinone due to applied potential indicate the head groups are located in both polar and nonpolar environments. The spectroscopic data reveal that the isoprenoid unit of the ubiquinone is likely lying in the midplane of the lipid bilayer while the head has some freedom to move within the hydrophobic core. The SEIRAS experiments show redox behavior of UQ incorporated in a model lipid membrane that are otherwise inaccessible with traditional electrochemistry techniques.

Infrared and Fluorescence Spectroscopic Investigations of the Acyl Surface Modification of Hydrogel Beads for the Deposition of a Phospholipid Coating

The scaffolded vesicle has been employed as an alternative means of developing natural model membranes and envisioned as a potential nutraceutical transporter. Furthering the research of the scaffolded vesicle system, a nucleophilic substitution reaction was implemented to form an ester linkage between palmitate and terminal hydroxyl groups of dextran in order to hydrophobically modify the hydrogel scaffold. An average tilt angle of 38° of the hydrophobic palmitate modifying layer on the surface of the hydrogel was determined from dichroic ratios obtained from infrared spectra collected in the attenuated total reflection (ATR) configuration. ATR-IR studies of the DMPC-coated acylated hydrogel demonstrated that the hydrocarbon chains of the DMPC coating was similar to those of the DMPC bilayers and that the underlying palmitate layer had a negligible effect on the average tilt angle (26°) of the DMPC coating. The permeability of this acylated hydrogel was investigated with fluorescence spectroscopy and the terbium/dipicolinic acid assay. The hydrophobic modification on the surface of the hydrogel bead allowed for an efficient deposition of a DMPC layer that served as an impermeable barrier to terbium efflux. About 72% of DMPC-coated acylated hydrogel beads showed ideal barrier properties. The remaining 28% were leaking, but the half-life of terbium efflux of the DMPC-coated acylated hydrogel was increasing, and the total amount of leaked terbium was decreasing with the incubation time. The half-life time and the retention were considered a marked improvement relative to past scaffolded vesicle preparations. The process of acylating hydrogel beads for efficient DMPC deposition has been identified as another viable method for controlling the permeability of the scaffolded vesicle.