1
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Deserno M. Biomembranes balance many types of leaflet asymmetries. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2024; 87:102832. [PMID: 38735128 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2024.102832] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Many biological membranes host different lipid species in their two leaflets. Since their spontaneous curvatures are typically not the same, this compositional asymmetry generally entails bending torques, which can be counteracted by differential stress-the difference between the two leaflet tensions. This stress, in turn, can affect elastic parameters or phase behavior of the membrane or each individual leaflet, or push easily flippable species, especially cholesterol, from the compressed leaflet into the tense leaflet. In short, breaking the symmetry of a single observable (to wit: composition), essentially breaks all other symmetries as well, with many potentially interesting consequences. This brief report examines the elastic aspects of this interplay, focusing on some elementary conditions of mechanical and thermodynamic equilibrium, but also shows how this poses novel questions that we are only beginning to appreciate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Deserno
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
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2
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Kennison-Cook KB, Heberle FA. Disruption of liquid/liquid phase separation in asymmetric GUVs prepared by hemifusion. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.21.600037. [PMID: 38979299 PMCID: PMC11230200 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.21.600037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Model asymmetric bilayers are useful for studying the coupling between lateral and transverse lipid organization. Here, we used calcium-induced hemifusion to create asymmetric giant unilamellar vesicles (aGUVs) for exploring the phase behavior of 16:0-PC/16:1-PC/Cholesterol, a simplified model for the mammalian plasma membrane. Symmetric GUVs (sGUVs) were first prepared using a composition that produced coexisting liquid-disordered and liquid-ordered phases visible by confocal fluorescence microscopy. The sGUVs were then hemifused to a supported lipid bilayer (SLB) composed of uniformly mixed 16:1-PC/Cholesterol. The extent of outer leaflet exchange was quantified in aGUVs in two ways: (1) from the reduction in fluorescence intensity of a lipid probe initially in the sGUV ("probe exit"); or (2) from the gain in intensity of a probe initially in the SLB ("probe entry"). These measurements revealed a large variability in the extent of outer leaflet exchange in aGUVs within a given preparation, and two populations with respect to their phase behavior: a subset of vesicles that remained phase separated, and a second subset that appeared uniformly mixed. Moreover, a correlation between phase behavior and extent of asymmetry was observed, with more strongly asymmetric vesicles having a greater probability of being uniformly mixed. We also observed substantial overlap between these populations, an indication that the uncertainty in measured exchange fraction is high. We developed models to determine the position of the phase boundary (i.e., the fraction of outer leaflet exchange above which domain formation is suppressed) and found that the phase boundaries determined separately from probe-entry and probe-exit data are in good agreement. Our models also provide improved estimates of the compositional uncertainty of individual aGUVs. We discuss several potential sources of uncertainty in the determination of lipid exchange from fluorescence measurements.
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3
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Weakly HMJ, Wilson KJ, Goetz GJ, Pruitt EL, Li A, Xu L, Keller SL. Several common methods of making vesicles (except an emulsion method) capture intended lipid ratios. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.21.581444. [PMID: 38948736 PMCID: PMC11212916 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.21.581444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Researchers choose different methods of making giant unilamellar vesicles in order to satisfy different constraints of their experimental designs. A challenge of using a variety of methods is that each may produce vesicles of different lipid compositions, even if all vesicles are made from a common stock mixture. Here, we use mass spectrometry to investigate ratios of lipids in vesicles made by five common methods: electroformation on indium tin oxide slides, electroformation on platinum wires, gentle hydration, emulsion transfer, and extrusion. We made vesicles from either 5-component or binary mixtures of lipids chosen to span a wide range of physical properties: di(18:1)PC, di(16:0)PC, di(18:1)PG, di(12:0)PE, and cholesterol. For a mixture of all five of these lipids, ITO electroformation, Pt electroformation, gentle hydration, and extrusion methods result in only minor shifts (≤ 5 mol%) in lipid ratios of vesicles relative to a common stock solution. In contrast, emulsion transfer results in ∼80% less cholesterol than expected from the stock solution, which is counterbalanced by a surprising overabundance of saturated PC-lipid relative to all other phospholipids. Experiments using binary mixtures of some of the lipids largely support results from the 5-component mixture. Exact values of lipid ratios variations likely depend on the details of each method, so a broader conclusion is that experiments that increment lipid ratios in small steps will be highly sensitive to the method of lipid formation and to sample-to-sample variations, which are low (roughly ±2 mol% in the 5-component mixture and either scale proportionally with increasing mole fraction or remain low). Experiments that increment lipid ratios in larger steps or that seek to explain general trends or new phenomena will be less sensitive to the method used. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Small changes to the amounts and types of lipids in membranes can drastically affect the membrane's behavior. Unfortunately, it is unknown whether (or to what extent) different methods of making vesicles alter the ratios of lipids in membranes, even when identical stock solutions are used. This presents challenges for researchers when comparing data with colleagues who use different methods. Here, we measure ratios of lipid types in vesicle membranes produced by five methods. We assess each method's reproducibility and compare resulting vesicle compositions across methods. In doing so, we provide a quantitative basis that the scientific community can use to estimate whether differences between their results can be simply attributed to differences between methods or to sample-to-sample variations.
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4
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Gudyka J, Ceja-Vega J, Krmic M, Porteus R, Lee S. The Role of Lipid Intrinsic Curvature in the Droplet Interface Bilayer. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:11428-11435. [PMID: 38764431 PMCID: PMC11155247 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c00270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Model bilayers are constructed from lipids having different intrinsic curvatures using the droplet interface bilayer (DIB) method, and their static physicochemical properties are determined. Geometrical and tensiometric measurements are used to derive the free energy of formation (ΔF) of a two-droplet DIB relative to a pair of isolated aqueous droplets, each decorated with a phospholipid monolayer. The lipid molecules employed have different headgroup sizes but identical hydrophobic tail structure, and each is characterized by an intrinsic curvature value (c0) that increases in absolute value with decreasing size of headgroup. Mixtures of lipids at different ratios were also investigated. The role of curvature stress on the values of ΔF of the respective lipid bilayers in these model membranes is discussed and is illuminated by the observation of a decrement in ΔF that scales as a near linear function of c02. Overall, the results reveal an association that should prove useful in studies of ion channels and other membrane proteins embedded in model droplet bilayer systems that will impact the understanding of protein function in cellular membranes composed of lipids of high and low curvature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Gudyka
- Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, Iona University, New Rochelle, New York 10801, United States
| | - Jasmin Ceja-Vega
- Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, Iona University, New Rochelle, New York 10801, United States
| | - Michael Krmic
- Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, Iona University, New Rochelle, New York 10801, United States
| | - Riley Porteus
- Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, Iona University, New Rochelle, New York 10801, United States
| | - Sunghee Lee
- Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, Iona University, New Rochelle, New York 10801, United States
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5
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Drabik D, Hinc P, Stephan M, Cavalcanti RRM, Czogalla A, Dimova R. Effect of leaflet asymmetry on the stretching elasticity of lipid bilayers with phosphatidic acid. Biophys J 2024:S0006-3495(24)00380-1. [PMID: 38822521 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The asymmetry of membranes has a significant impact on their biophysical characteristics and behavior. This study investigates the composition and mechanical properties of symmetric and asymmetric membranes in giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) made of palmitoyloleoyl phosphatidylcholine (POPC) and palmitoyloleoyl phosphatidic acid (POPA). A combination of fluorescence quantification, zeta potential measurements, micropipette aspiration, and bilayer molecular dynamics simulations are used to characterize these membranes. The outer leaflet composition in vesicles is found consistent across the two preparation methods we employed, namely electroformation and inverted emulsion transfer. However, characterizing the inner leaflet poses challenges. Micropipette aspiration of GUVs show that oil residues do not substantially alter membrane elasticity, but simulations reveal increased membrane thickness and decreased interleaflet coupling in the presence of oil. Asymmetric membranes with a POPC:POPA mixture in the outer leaflet and POPC in the inner leaflet display similar stretching elasticity values to symmetric POPC:POPA membranes, suggesting potential POPA insertion into the inner leaflet during vesicle formation and suppressed asymmetry. The inverse compositional asymmetry, with POPC in the outer leaflet and POPC:POPA in the inner one yield less stretchable membranes with higher compressibility modulus compared with their symmetric counterparts. Challenges in achieving and predicting compositional correspondence highlight the limitations of phase-transfer-based methods. In addition, caution is advised when using fluorescently labeled lipids (even at low fractions of 0.5 mol %), as unexpected gel-like domains in symmetric POPC:POPA membranes were observed only with a specific type of labeled DOPE (dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine) and the same fraction of unlabeled DOPE. The latter suggest that such domain formation may result from interactions between lipids and membrane fluorescent probes. Overall, this study underscores the complexity of factors influencing GUV membrane asymmetry, emphasizing the need for further research and improvement of characterization techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Drabik
- Department of Cytobiochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland; Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Piotr Hinc
- Department of Cytobiochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Mareike Stephan
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
| | | | - Aleksander Czogalla
- Department of Cytobiochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Rumiana Dimova
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany.
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6
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Pabst G, Keller S. Exploring membrane asymmetry and its effects on membrane proteins. Trends Biochem Sci 2024; 49:333-345. [PMID: 38355393 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2024.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Plasma membranes utilize free energy to maintain highly asymmetric, non-equilibrium distributions of lipids and proteins between their two leaflets. In this review we discuss recent progress in quantitative research enabled by using compositionally controlled asymmetric model membranes. Both experimental and computational studies have shed light on the nuanced mechanisms that govern the structural and dynamic coupling between compositionally distinct bilayer leaflets. This coupling can increase the membrane bending rigidity and induce order - or lipid domains - across the membrane. Furthermore, emerging evidence indicates that integral membrane proteins not only respond to asymmetric lipid distributions but also exhibit intriguing asymmetric properties themselves. We propose strategies to advance experimental research, aiming for a deeper, quantitative understanding of membrane asymmetry, which carries profound implications for cellular physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Pabst
- Biophysics, Institute of Molecular Bioscience (IMB), NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Graz 8010, Austria; BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria; Field of Excellence BioHealth, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
| | - Sandro Keller
- Biophysics, Institute of Molecular Bioscience (IMB), NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Graz 8010, Austria; BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria; Field of Excellence BioHealth, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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7
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Leomil FC, Stephan M, Pramanik S, Riske KA, Dimova R. Bilayer Charge Asymmetry and Oil Residues Destabilize Membranes upon Poration. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:4719-4731. [PMID: 38373285 PMCID: PMC10919074 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Transmembrane asymmetry is ubiquitous in cells, particularly with respect to lipids, where charged lipids are mainly restricted to one monolayer. We investigate the influence of anionic lipid asymmetry on the stability of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), minimal plasma membrane models. To quantify asymmetry, we apply the fluorescence quenching assay, which is often difficult to reproduce, and caution in handling the quencher is generally underestimated. We first optimize this assay and then apply it to GUVs prepared with the inverted emulsion transfer protocol by using increasing fractions of anionic lipids restricted to one leaflet. This protocol is found to produce highly asymmetric bilayers but with ∼20% interleaflet mixing. To probe the stability of asymmetric versus symmetric membranes, we expose the GUVs to porating electric pulses and monitor the fraction of destabilized vesicles. The pulses open macropores, and the GUVs either completely recover or exhibit leakage or bursting/collapse. Residual oil destabilizes porated membranes, and destabilization is even more pronounced in asymmetrically charged membranes. This is corroborated by the measured pore edge tension, which is also found to decrease with increasing charge asymmetry. Using GUVs with imposed transmembrane pH asymmetry, we confirm that poration-triggered destabilization does not depend on the approach used to generate membrane asymmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda
S. C. Leomil
- Max
Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14776 Potsdam, Germany
- Departamento
de Biofísica, Universidade Federal
de São Paulo, São
Paulo 04039-032, Brazil
| | - Mareike Stephan
- Max
Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14776 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Shreya Pramanik
- Max
Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14776 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Karin A. Riske
- Departamento
de Biofísica, Universidade Federal
de São Paulo, São
Paulo 04039-032, Brazil
| | - Rumiana Dimova
- Max
Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14776 Potsdam, Germany
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8
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Doktorova M, Levental I, Heberle FA. Seeing the Membrane from Both Sides Now: Lipid Asymmetry and Its Strange Consequences. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2023; 15:a041393. [PMID: 37604588 PMCID: PMC10691478 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Almost all biomembranes are constructed as lipid bilayers and, in almost all of these, the two opposing monolayers (leaflets) have distinct lipid compositions. This lipid asymmetry arises through the concerted action of a suite of energy-dependent enzymes that maintain living bilayers in a far-from-equilibrium steady-state. Recent discoveries reveal that lipid compositional asymmetry imparts biophysical asymmetries and that this dualistic organization may have major consequences for cellular physiology. Importantly, while transbilayer asymmetry appears to be an essential, near-ubiquitous characteristic of biological membranes, it has been challenging to reproduce in reconstituted or synthetic systems. Although recent methodological developments have overcome some critical challenges, it remains difficult to extrapolate results from available models to biological systems. Concurrently, there are few experimental approaches for targeted, controlled manipulation of lipid asymmetry in living cells. Thus, the biophysical and functional consequences of membrane asymmetry remain almost wholly unexplored. This perspective summarizes the current state of knowledge and highlights emerging themes that are beginning to make inroads into the fundamental question of why life tends toward asymmetry in its bilayers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milka Doktorova
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
| | - Ilya Levental
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
| | - Frederick A Heberle
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
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9
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Van de Cauter L, van Buren L, Koenderink GH, Ganzinger KA. Exploring Giant Unilamellar Vesicle Production for Artificial Cells - Current Challenges and Future Directions. SMALL METHODS 2023; 7:e2300416. [PMID: 37464561 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202300416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Creating an artificial cell from the bottom up is a long-standing challenge and, while significant progress has been made, the full realization of this goal remains elusive. Arguably, one of the biggest hurdles that researchers are facing now is the assembly of different modules of cell function inside a single container. Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) have emerged as a suitable container with many methods available for their production. Well-studied swelling-based methods offer a wide range of lipid compositions but at the expense of limited encapsulation efficiency. Emulsion-based methods, on the other hand, excel at encapsulation but are only effective with a limited set of membrane compositions and may entrap residual additives in the lipid bilayer. Since the ultimate artificial cell will need to comply with both specific membrane and encapsulation requirements, there is still no one-method-fits-all solution for GUV formation available today. This review discusses the state of the art in different GUV production methods and their compatibility with GUV requirements and operational requirements such as reproducibility and ease of use. It concludes by identifying the most pressing issues and proposes potential avenues for future research to bring us one step closer to turning artificial cells into a reality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lori Van de Cauter
- Autonomous Matter Department, AMOLF, Amsterdam, 1098 XG, The Netherlands
| | - Lennard van Buren
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, 2629 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Gijsje H Koenderink
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, 2629 HZ, The Netherlands
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10
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Schütz GJ, Pabst G. The asymmetric plasma membrane-A composite material combining different functionalities?: Balancing Barrier Function and Fluidity for Effective Signaling. Bioessays 2023; 45:e2300116. [PMID: 37712937 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
One persistent puzzle in the life sciences is the asymmetric lipid composition of the cellular plasma membrane: while the exoplasmic leaflet is enriched in lipids carrying predominantly saturated fatty acids, the cytoplasmic leaflet hosts preferentially lipids with (poly-)unsaturated fatty acids. Given the high energy requirements necessary for cells to maintain this asymmetry, the question naturally arises regarding its inherent benefits. In this paper, we propose asymmetry to represent a potential solution for harmonizing two conflicting requirements for the plasma membrane: first, the need to build a barrier for the uncontrolled influx or efflux of substances; and second, the need to form a fluid and dynamic two-dimensional substrate for signaling processes. We hence view here the plasma membrane as a composite material, where the exoplasmic leaflet is mainly responsible for the functional integrity of the barrier and the cytoplasmic leaflet for fluidity. We reinforce the validity of the proposed mechanism by presenting quantitative data from the literature, along with multiple examples that bolster our model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Georg Pabst
- Biophysics, Institute of Molecular Bioscience (IMB), NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed Graz, Graz, Austria
- Field of Excellence BioHealth-University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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11
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Zhang H, Pan F, Li S. Self-Assembly of Lipid Molecules under Shear Flows: A Dissipative Particle Dynamics Simulation Study. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1359. [PMID: 37759759 PMCID: PMC10526246 DOI: 10.3390/biom13091359] [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: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The self-assembly of lipid molecules in aqueous solution under shear flows was investigated using the dissipative particle dynamics simulation method. Three cases were considered: zero shear flow, weak shear flow and strong shear flow. Various self-assembled structures, such as double layers, perforated double layers, hierarchical discs, micelles, and vesicles, were observed. The self-assembly behavior was investigated in equilibrium by constructing phase diagrams based on chain lengths. Results showed the remarkable influence of chain length, shear flow and solution concentration on the self-assembly process. Furthermore, the self-assembly behavior of lipid molecules was analyzed using the system energy, particle number and shape factor during the dynamic processes, where the self-assembly pathways were observed and analyzed for the typical structures. The results enhance our understanding of biomacromolecule self-assembly in a solution and hold the potential for applications in biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Zhang
- Department of Physics, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Fan Pan
- School of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Wenzhou University of Technology, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Shiben Li
- Department of Physics, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
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12
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Nair KS, Bajaj H. Advances in giant unilamellar vesicle preparation techniques and applications. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 318:102935. [PMID: 37320960 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2023.102935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) are versatile and promising cell-sized bio-membrane mimetic platforms. Their applications range from understanding and quantifying membrane biophysical processes to acting as elementary blocks in the bottom-up assembly of synthetic cells. Definite properties and requisite goals in GUVs are dictated by the preparation techniques critical to the success of their applications. Here, we review key advances in giant unilamellar vesicle preparation techniques and discuss their formation mechanisms. Developments in lipid hydration and emulsion techniques for GUV preparation are described. Novel microfluidic-based techniques involving lipid or surfactant-stabilized emulsions are outlined. GUV immobilization strategies are summarized, including gravity-based settling, covalent linking, and immobilization by microfluidic, electric, and magnetic barriers. Moreover, some of the key applications of GUVs as biomimetic and synthetic cell platforms during the last decade have been identified. Membrane interface processes like phase separation, membrane protein reconstitution, and membrane bending have been deciphered using GUVs. In addition, vesicles are also employed as building blocks to construct synthetic cells with defined cell-like functions comprising compartments, metabolic reactors, and abilities to grow and divide. We critically discuss the pros and cons of preparation technologies and the properties they confer to the GUVs and identify potential techniques for dedicated applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthika S Nair
- Microbial Processes and Technology Division, CSIR- National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Trivandrum 695019, Kerala, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Human Resource Development Centre, Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Harsha Bajaj
- Microbial Processes and Technology Division, CSIR- National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Trivandrum 695019, Kerala, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Human Resource Development Centre, Ghaziabad 201002, India.
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13
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Frewein MPK, Piller P, Semeraro EF, Czakkel O, Gerelli Y, Porcar L, Pabst G. Distributing aminophospholipids asymmetrically across leaflets causes anomalous membrane stiffening. Biophys J 2023; 122:2445-2455. [PMID: 37120716 PMCID: PMC10322881 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023] Open
Abstract
We studied the mechanical leaflet coupling of prototypic mammalian plasma membranes using neutron spin-echo spectroscopy. In particular, we examined a series of asymmetric phospholipid vesicles with phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin enriched in the outer leaflet and inner leaflets composed of phosphatidylethanolamine/phosphatidylserine mixtures. The bending rigidities of most asymmetric membranes were anomalously high, exceeding even those of symmetric membranes formed from their cognate leaflets. Only asymmetric vesicles with outer leaflets enriched in sphingolipid displayed bending rigidities in conformity with these symmetric controls. We performed complementary small-angle neutron and x-ray experiments on the same vesicles to examine possible links to structural coupling mechanisms, which would show up in corresponding changes in membrane thickness. In addition, we estimated differential stress between leaflets originating either from a mismatch of their lateral areas or spontaneous curvatures. However, no correlation with asymmetry-induced membrane stiffening was observed. To reconcile our findings, we speculate that an asymmetric distribution of charged or H-bond forming lipids may induce an intraleaflet coupling, which increases the weight of hard undulatory modes of membrane fluctuations and hence the overall membrane stiffness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz P K Frewein
- Biophysics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, Graz, Austria; Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, France; BioTechMed Graz, Graz, Austria; Field of Excellence BioHealth, Graz, Austria
| | - Paulina Piller
- Biophysics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, Graz, Austria; BioTechMed Graz, Graz, Austria; Field of Excellence BioHealth, Graz, Austria
| | - Enrico F Semeraro
- Biophysics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, Graz, Austria; BioTechMed Graz, Graz, Austria; Field of Excellence BioHealth, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Yuri Gerelli
- CNR Institute for Complex Systems, Uos Sapienza, Roma, Italy; Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, Roma, Italy
| | | | - Georg Pabst
- Biophysics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, Graz, Austria; BioTechMed Graz, Graz, Austria; Field of Excellence BioHealth, Graz, Austria.
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14
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Arribas Perez M, Beales PA. Dynamics of asymmetric membranes and interleaflet coupling as intermediates in membrane fusion. Biophys J 2023; 122:1985-1995. [PMID: 36203354 PMCID: PMC10257014 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane fusion is a tool to increase the complexity of model membrane systems. Here, we use silica nanoparticles to fuse liquid-disordered DOPC giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) and liquid-ordered DPPC:cholesterol (7:3) GUVs. After fusion, GUVs display large membrane domains as confirmed by fluorescence confocal microscopy. Laurdan spectral imaging of the membrane phases in the fused GUVs shows differences compared with the initial vesicles indicating some lipid redistribution between phase domains as dictated by the tie lines of the phase diagram. Remarkably, using real-time confocal microscopy we were able to record the dynamics of formation of asymmetric membrane domains in hemifused GUVs and detected interleaflet coupling phenomena by which the DOPC-rich liquid-disordered domains in outer monolayer modulates the phase state of the DPPC:cholesterol inner membrane leaflet which transitions from liquid-ordered to liquid-disordered phase. We find that internal membrane stresses generated by membrane asymmetry enhance the efficiency of full fusion compared with our previous studies on symmetric vesicle fusion. Furthermore, under these conditions, the liquid-disordered monolayer dictates the bilayer phase state of asymmetric membrane domains in >90% of observed cases. By comparison to the findings of previous literature, we suggest that the monolayer phase that dominates the bilayer properties could be a mechanoresponsive signaling mechanism sensitive to the local membrane environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Arribas Perez
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology and School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Paul A Beales
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology and School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; Bragg Centre for Materials Research, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
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15
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Bogdanov M. The power and challenge of lipid (a)symmetry across the membrane and cell. Emerg Top Life Sci 2023; 7:1-6. [PMID: 36988943 PMCID: PMC10725184 DOI: 10.1042/etls20220088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Membrane asymmetry means that the two sides of membrane are structurally, physically and functionally different. Membrane asymmetry is largely related to the lipid sidedness and particularly to compositional (lipid head and acyl group) and physical (lipid packing order, charge, hydration and H-bonding interactions) differences in the inner and outer leaflets of lipid bilayer. Chemically, structurally and conformationally different non-covalent bound lipid molecules are physically fluid and deformable and enable to interact dynamically to form transient arrangements with asymmetry both perpendicular and parallel to the plane of the lipid bilayer. Although biological membranes are almost universally asymmetric however the asymmetry is not absolute since only drastic difference in the number of lipids per leaflet is found and symmetric arrangements are possible. Asymmetry is thought to direct and influence many core biological functions by altering the membrane's collective biochemical, biophysical and structural properties. Asymmetric transbilayer lipid distribution is found across all lipid classes, cells and near all endomembrane compartments. Why cell membranes are (a)symmetric and adopt almost exclusively highly entropically disfavored asymmetric state?
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Bogdanov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, U.S.A
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16
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Krompers M, Heerklotz H. A Guide to Your Desired Lipid-Asymmetric Vesicles. MEMBRANES 2023; 13:267. [PMID: 36984654 PMCID: PMC10054703 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13030267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Liposomes are prevalent model systems for studies on biological membranes. Recently, increasing attention has been paid to models also representing the lipid asymmetry of biological membranes. Here, we review in-vitro methods that have been established to prepare free-floating vesicles containing different compositions of the classic two-chain glycero- or sphingolipids in their outer and inner leaflet. In total, 72 reports are listed and assigned to four general strategies that are (A) enzymatic conversion of outer leaflet lipids, (B) re-sorting of lipids between leaflets, (C) assembly from different monolayers and (D) exchange of outer leaflet lipids. To guide the reader through this broad field of available techniques, we attempt to draw a road map that leads to the lipid-asymmetric vesicles that suit a given purpose. Of each method, we discuss advantages and limitations. In addition, various verification strategies of asymmetry as well as the role of cholesterol are briefly discussed. The ability to specifically induce lipid asymmetry in model membranes offers insights into the biological functions of asymmetry and may also benefit the technical applications of liposomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Krompers
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Heiko Heerklotz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3M2, Canada
- Signalling Research Centers BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79085 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
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17
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Zabala-Ferrera O, Liu P, Beltramo PJ. Determining the Bending Rigidity of Free-Standing Planar Phospholipid Bilayers. MEMBRANES 2023; 13:129. [PMID: 36837632 PMCID: PMC9959114 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13020129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
We describe a method to determine membrane bending rigidity from capacitance measurements on large area, free-standing, planar, biomembranes. The bending rigidity of lipid membranes is an important biological mechanical property that is commonly optically measured in vesicles, but difficult to quantify in a planar, unsupported system. To accomplish this, we simultaneously image and apply an electric potential to free-standing, millimeter area, planar lipid bilayers composed of DOPC and DOPG phospholipids to measure the membrane Young's (elasticity) modulus. The bilayer is then modeled as two adjacent thin elastic films to calculate bending rigidity from the electromechanical response of the membrane to the applied field. Using DOPC, we show that bending rigidities determined by this approach are in good agreement with the existing work using neutron spin echo on vesicles, atomic force spectroscopy on supported lipid bilayers, and micropipette aspiration of giant unilamellar vesicles. We study the effect of asymmetric calcium concentration on symmetric DOPC and DOPG membranes and quantify the resulting changes in bending rigidity. This platform offers the ability to create planar bilayers of controlled lipid composition and aqueous ionic environment, with the ability to asymmetrically alter both. We aim to leverage this high degree of compositional and environmental control, along with the capacity to measure physical properties, in the study of various biological processes in the future.
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18
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Close, but not too close: a mesoscopic description of (a)symmetry and membrane shaping mechanisms. Emerg Top Life Sci 2023; 7:81-93. [PMID: 36645200 DOI: 10.1042/etls20220078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Biomembranes are fundamental to our understanding of the cell, the basic building block of all life. An intriguing aspect of membranes is their ability to assume a variety of shapes, which is crucial for cell function. Here, we review various membrane shaping mechanisms with special focus on the current understanding of how local curvature and local rigidity induced by membrane proteins leads to emerging forces and consequently large-scale membrane deformations. We also argue that describing the interaction of rigid proteins with membranes purely in terms of local membrane curvature is incomplete and that changes in the membrane rigidity moduli must also be considered.
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19
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Cellular function of (a)symmetric biological membranes. Emerg Top Life Sci 2022; 7:47-54. [PMID: 36562339 DOI: 10.1042/etls20220029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In mammalian cells, phospholipids are asymmetrically distributed between the outer and inner leaflets of the plasma membrane. The maintenance of asymmetric phospholipid distribution has been demonstrated to be required for a wide range of cellular functions including cell division, cell migration, and signal transduction. However, we recently reported that asymmetric phospholipid distribution is disrupted in Drosophila cell membranes, and this unique phospholipid distribution leads to the formation of highly deformable cell membranes. In addition, it has become clear that asymmetry in the trans-bilayer distribution of phospholipids is disturbed even in living mammalian cells under certain circumstances. In this article, we introduce our recent studies while focusing on the trans-bilayer distribution of phospholipids, and discuss the cellular functions of (a)symmetric biological membranes.
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20
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Wubshet NH, Liu AP. Methods to mechanically perturb and characterize GUV-based minimal cell models. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 21:550-562. [PMID: 36659916 PMCID: PMC9816913 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells shield organelles and the cytosol via an active boundary predominantly made of phospholipids and membrane proteins, yet allowing communication between the intracellular and extracellular environment. Micron-sized liposome compartments commonly known as giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) are used to model the cell membrane and encapsulate biological materials and processes in a cell-like confinement. In the field of bottom-up synthetic biology, many have utilized GUVs as substrates to study various biological processes such as protein-lipid interactions, cytoskeletal assembly, and dynamics of protein synthesis. Like cells, it is ideal that GUVs are also mechanically durable and able to stay intact when the inner and outer environment changes. As a result, studies have demonstrated approaches to tune the mechanical properties of GUVs by modulating membrane composition and lumenal material property. In this context, there have been many different methods developed to test the mechanical properties of GUVs. In this review, we will survey various perturbation techniques employed to mechanically characterize GUVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadab H. Wubshet
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Allen P. Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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21
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Doktorova M, Levental I. Cholesterol's balancing act: Defying the status quo. Biophys J 2022; 121:3771-3773. [PMID: 36084632 PMCID: PMC9674974 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.08.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Milka Doktorova
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.
| | - Ilya Levental
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
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22
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Varma M, Deserno M. Distribution of cholesterol in asymmetric membranes driven by composition and differential stress. Biophys J 2022; 121:4001-4018. [PMID: 35927954 PMCID: PMC9674969 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Many lipid membranes of eukaryotic cells are asymmetric, which means the two leaflets differ in at least one physical property, such as lipid composition or lateral stress. Maintaining this asymmetry is helped by the fact that ordinary phospholipids rarely transition between leaflets, but cholesterol is an exception: its flip-flop times are in the microsecond range, so that its distribution between leaflets is determined by a chemical equilibrium. In particular, preferential partitioning can draw cholesterol into a more saturated leaflet, and phospholipid number asymmetry can force it out of a compressed leaflet. Combining highly coarse-grained membrane simulations with theoretical modeling, we investigate how these two driving forces play against each other until cholesterol's chemical potential is equilibrated. The theory includes two coupled elastic sheets and a Flory-Huggins mixing free energy with a χ parameter. We obtain a relationship between χ and the interaction strength between cholesterol and lipids in either of the two leaflets, and we find that it depends, albeit weakly, on lipid number asymmetry. The differential stress measurements under various asymmetry conditions agree with our theoretical predictions. Using the two kinds of asymmetries in combination, we find that it is possible to counteract the phospholipid number bias, and the resultant stress in the membrane, via the control of cholesterol mixing in the leaflets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malavika Varma
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Markus Deserno
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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23
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Faizi HA, Tsui A, Dimova R, Vlahovska PM. Bending Rigidity, Capacitance, and Shear Viscosity of Giant Vesicle Membranes Prepared by Spontaneous Swelling, Electroformation, Gel-Assisted, and Phase Transfer Methods: A Comparative Study. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:10548-10557. [PMID: 35993569 PMCID: PMC9671160 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c01402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Closed lipid bilayers in the form of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) are commonly used membrane models. Various methods have been developed to prepare GUVs, however it is unknown if all approaches yield membranes with the same elastic, electric, and rheological properties. Here, we combine flickering spectroscopy and electrodefomation of GUVs to measure, at identical conditions, membrane capacitance, bending rigidity and shear surface viscosity of palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC) membranes formed by several commonly used preparation methods: thin film hydration (spontaneous swelling), electroformation, gel-assisted swelling using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) or agarose, and phase-transfer. We find relatively similar bending rigidity value across all the methods except for the agarose hydration method. In addition, the capacitance values are similar except for vesicles prepared via PVA gel hydration. Intriguingly, membranes prepared by the gel-assisted and phase-transfer methods exhibit much higher shear viscosity compared to electroformation and spontaneous swelling, likely due to remnants of polymers (PVA and agarose) and oils (hexadecane and mineral) in the lipid bilayer structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hammad A Faizi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Annie Tsui
- Department of Industrial Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Rumiana Dimova
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Science Park Golm, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Petia M Vlahovska
- Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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24
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Foley SL, Hossein A, Deserno M. Fluid-gel coexistence in lipid membranes under differential stress. Biophys J 2022; 121:2997-3009. [PMID: 35859420 PMCID: PMC9463654 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A widely conserved property of many biological lipid bilayers is their asymmetry. In addition to having distinct compositions on its two sides, a membrane can also exhibit different tensions in its two leaflets, a state known as differential stress. Here, we examine how this stress can influence the phase behavior of the constituent lipid monolayers of a single-component membrane. For temperatures sufficiently close to, but still above, the main transition, molecular dynamics simulations show the emergence of finite gel domains within the compressed leaflet. We describe the thermodynamics of this phenomenon by adding two empirical single-leaflet free energies for the fluid-gel transition, each evaluated at its respective asymmetry-dependent lipid density. Finite size effects arising in simulation are included in the theory through a geometry-dependent interfacial term. Our model reproduces the phase coexistence observed in simulation. It could therefore be used to connect the "hidden variable" of differential stress to experimentally observable properties of the main phase transition. These ideas could be generalized to any first-order bilayer phase transition in the presence of asymmetry, including liquid-ordered/liquid-disordered phase separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel L Foley
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Amirali Hossein
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Markus Deserno
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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25
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Sun L, Pan F, Li S. Self-Assembly of Lipid Mixtures in Solutions: Structures, Dynamics Processes and Mechanical Properties. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:membranes12080730. [PMID: 35893448 PMCID: PMC9394357 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12080730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The self-assembly of lipid mixtures in aqueous solution was investigated by dissipative particle dynamics simulation. Two types of lipid molecules were modelled, where three mixed structures, i.e., the membrane, perforated membrane and vesicle, were determined in the self-assembly processes. Phase behaviour was investigated by using the phase diagrams based on the tail chain lengths for the two types of lipids. Several parameters, such as chain number and average radius of gyration, were employed to explore the structural formations of the membrane and perforated membrane in the dynamic processes. Interface tension was used to demonstrate the mechanical properties of the membrane and perforated membrane in the equilibrium state and dynamics processes. Results help us to understand the self-assembly mechanism of the biomolecule mixtures, which has a potential application for designing the lipid molecule-based bio-membranes in solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fan Pan
- Correspondence: (F.P.); (S.L.)
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26
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Cino EA, Tieleman DP. Curvature-based sorting of eight lipid types in asymmetric buckled plasma membrane models. Biophys J 2022; 121:2060-2068. [PMID: 35524412 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Curvature is a fundamental property of biological membranes and has essential roles in cellular function. Bending of membranes can be induced by their lipid and protein compositions, as well as peripheral proteins, such as those that make up the cytoskeleton. An important aspect of membrane function is the grouping of lipid species into microdomains, or rafts, which serve as platforms for specific biochemical processes. The fluid mosaic model of membranes has evolved to recognize the importance of curvature and leaflet asymmetry, and there are efforts towards evaluating their functional roles. This work investigates the effect of curvature on the sorting of lipids in buckled asymmetric bilayers containing eight lipid types, approximating an average mammalian plasma membrane, through coarse-grained (CG) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with the Martini force field. The simulations reveal that i) leaflet compositional asymmetry can induce curvature asymmetry, ii) lipids are sorted by curvature to different extents, and iii) curvature-based partitioning trends show moderate to strong correlations with lipid molecular volumes and head to tail bead ratios, respectively. The findings provide unique insights into the role of curvature in membrane organization, and the curvature-based sorting trends should be useful references for later investigations, and potentially interpreting the functional roles of specific lipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elio A Cino
- Centre for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - D Peter Tieleman
- Centre for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.
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27
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Groomes PV, Kanjee U, Duraisingh MT. RBC membrane biomechanics and Plasmodium falciparum invasion: probing beyond ligand-receptor interactions. Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:302-315. [PMID: 34991983 PMCID: PMC8917059 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2021.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
A critical step in malaria blood-stage infections is the invasion of red blood cells (RBCs) by merozoite forms of the Plasmodium parasite. Much progress has been made in defining the parasite ligands and host receptors that mediate this critical step. However, less well understood are the RBC biophysical determinants that influence parasite invasion. In this review we explore how Plasmodium falciparum merozoites interact with the RBC membrane during invasion to modulate RBC deformability and facilitate invasion. We further highlight RBC biomechanics-related polymorphisms that might have been selected for in human populations due to their ability to reduce parasite invasion. Such an understanding will reveal the translational potential of targeting host pathways affecting RBC biomechanical properties for the treatment of malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrice V Groomes
- Department of Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Usheer Kanjee
- Department of Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Manoj T Duraisingh
- Department of Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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28
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Park S, Im W, Pastor RW. Developing initial conditions for simulations of asymmetric membranes: a practical recommendation. Biophys J 2021; 120:5041-5059. [PMID: 34653389 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been proposed that the surface tension difference between leaflets (or differential stress) in asymmetric bilayers is generally nonvanishing. This implies that there is no unique approach to generate initial conditions for simulations of asymmetric bilayers in the absence of experimentally derived constraints. Current generation methods include individual area per lipid (APL) based, leaflet surface area (SA) matching, and zero leaflet tension based (0-DS). This work adds a bilayer-based approach that aims for achieving partial chemical equilibrium by interleaflet switching of selected lipids via P21 periodic boundary conditions. Based on a recently proposed theoretical framework, we obtained expressions for tensions in asymmetric bilayers from both the bending and area strains. We also developed a quantitative measure for the energetic penalty from the differential stress. The impacts of APL-, SA-, and 0-DS-based approaches on mechanical properties are assessed for two different asymmetric bilayers. The lateral pressure profile and its moments differ significantly for each method, whereas the area compressibility modulus is relatively insensitive. Application of P21 periodic boundary conditions (APL/P21, SA/P21, and 0-DS/P21) results in better agreement in mechanical properties between asymmetric bilayers generated by APL-, SA-, and 0-DS-based approaches, in which changes are the smallest for bilayers from the SA-based method. The estimated differential stress from the theory shows good agreement with that from the simulations. These simulation results and the good agreement between the predicted and observed differential stress further support the theoretical framework in which bilayer mechanical properties are outcomes of the interplay between intrinsic bending and asymmetric lipid packing. Based on the simulation results and theoretical predictions, the SA/P21-based, or at least the SA-based (when the differential stress is small), approach is recommended as a practical method for developing initial conditions for asymmetric bilayer simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sooyhung Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Department of Chemistry, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
| | - Wonpil Im
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Department of Chemistry, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
| | - Richard W Pastor
- Laboratory of Computational Biology, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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29
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Forth J, Mariano A, Chai Y, Toor A, Hasnain J, Jiang Y, Feng W, Liu X, Geissler PL, Menon N, Helms BA, Ashby PD, Russell TP. The Buckling Spectra of Nanoparticle Surfactant Assemblies. NANO LETTERS 2021; 21:7116-7122. [PMID: 34448588 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c01454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Fine control over the mechanical properties of thin sheets underpins transcytosis, cell shape, and morphogenesis. Applying these principles to artificial, liquid-based systems has led to reconfigurable materials for soft robotics, actuation, and chemical synthesis. However, progress is limited by a lack of synthetic two-dimensional membranes that exhibit tunable mechanical properties over a comparable range to that seen in nature. Here, we show that the bending modulus, B, of thin assemblies of nanoparticle surfactants (NPSs) at the oil-water interface can be varied continuously from sub-kBT to 106kBT, by varying the ligands and particles that comprise the NPS. We find extensive departure from continuum behavior, including enormous mechanical anisotropy and a power law relation between B and the buckling spectrum width. Our findings provide a platform for shape-changing liquid devices and motivate new theories for the description of thin-film wrinkling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe Forth
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, London, WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Andres Mariano
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Yu Chai
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Anju Toor
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Jaffar Hasnain
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Yufeng Jiang
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Wenqian Feng
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Xubo Liu
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Phillip L Geissler
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Narayanan Menon
- Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Brett A Helms
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Paul D Ashby
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Thomas P Russell
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Polymer Science and Engineering Department, University of Massachusetts, 120 Governors Drive, Conte Center for Polymer Research, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
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30
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Lopez Mora N, Findlay HE, Brooks NJ, Purushothaman S, Ces O, Booth PJ. The membrane transporter lactose permease increases lipid bilayer bending rigidity. Biophys J 2021; 120:3787-3794. [PMID: 34273316 PMCID: PMC8456183 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.06.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular life relies on membranes, which provide a resilient and adaptive cell boundary. Many essential processes depend upon the ease with which the membrane is able to deform and bend, features that can be characterized by the bending rigidity. Quantitative investigations of such mechanical properties of biological membranes have primarily been undertaken in solely lipid bilayers and frequently in the absence of buffers. In contrast, much less is known about the influence of integral membrane proteins on bending rigidity under physiological conditions. We focus on an exemplar member of the ubiquitous major facilitator superfamily of transporters and assess the influence of lactose permease on the bending rigidity of lipid bilayers. Fluctuation analysis of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) is a useful means to measure bending rigidity. We find that using a hydrogel substrate produces GUVs that are well suited to fluctuation analysis. Moreover, the hydrogel method is amenable to both physiological salt concentrations and anionic lipids, which are important to mimic key aspects of the native lactose permease membrane. Varying the fraction of the anionic lipid in the lipid mixture DOPC/DOPE/DOPG allows us to assess the dependence of membrane bending rigidity on the topology and concentration of an integral membrane protein in the lipid bilayer of GUVs. The bending rigidity gradually increases with the incorporation of lactose permease, but there is no further increase with greater amounts of the protein in the membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nestor Lopez Mora
- Department of Chemistry, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Heather E Findlay
- Department of Chemistry, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas J Brooks
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sowmya Purushothaman
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Beyond Meat, El Segundo, California
| | - Oscar Ces
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paula J Booth
- Department of Chemistry, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom.
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31
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Scott HL, Kennison KB, Enoki TA, Doktorova M, Kinnun JJ, Heberle FA, Katsaras J. Model Membrane Systems Used to Study Plasma Membrane Lipid Asymmetry. Symmetry (Basel) 2021; 13. [PMID: 35498375 PMCID: PMC9053528 DOI: 10.3390/sym13081356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well known that the lipid distribution in the bilayer leaflets of mammalian plasma membranes (PMs) is not symmetric. Despite this, model membrane studies have largely relied on chemically symmetric model membranes for the study of lipid–lipid and lipid–protein interactions. This is primarily due to the difficulty in preparing stable, asymmetric model membranes that are amenable to biophysical studies. However, in the last 20 years, efforts have been made in producing more biologically faithful model membranes. Here, we review several recently developed experimental and computational techniques for the robust generation of asymmetric model membranes and highlight a new and particularly promising technique to study membrane asymmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haden L. Scott
- Large Scale Structures Group, Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- Shull-Wollan Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- Correspondence: (H.L.S.); (K.B.K.); (T.A.E.); (M.D.); (J.J.K.); (F.A.H.); (J.K.)
| | - Kristen B. Kennison
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
- Correspondence: (H.L.S.); (K.B.K.); (T.A.E.); (M.D.); (J.J.K.); (F.A.H.); (J.K.)
| | - Thais A. Enoki
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
- Correspondence: (H.L.S.); (K.B.K.); (T.A.E.); (M.D.); (J.J.K.); (F.A.H.); (J.K.)
| | - Milka Doktorova
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
- Correspondence: (H.L.S.); (K.B.K.); (T.A.E.); (M.D.); (J.J.K.); (F.A.H.); (J.K.)
| | - Jacob J. Kinnun
- Large Scale Structures Group, Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- Shull-Wollan Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- Correspondence: (H.L.S.); (K.B.K.); (T.A.E.); (M.D.); (J.J.K.); (F.A.H.); (J.K.)
| | - Frederick A. Heberle
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
- Correspondence: (H.L.S.); (K.B.K.); (T.A.E.); (M.D.); (J.J.K.); (F.A.H.); (J.K.)
| | - John Katsaras
- Shull-Wollan Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- Sample Environment Group, Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
- Correspondence: (H.L.S.); (K.B.K.); (T.A.E.); (M.D.); (J.J.K.); (F.A.H.); (J.K.)
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32
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Shiomi A, Nagao K, Yokota N, Tsuchiya M, Kato U, Juni N, Hara Y, Mori MX, Mori Y, Ui-Tei K, Murate M, Kobayashi T, Nishino Y, Miyazawa A, Yamamoto A, Suzuki R, Kaufmann S, Tanaka M, Tatsumi K, Nakabe K, Shintaku H, Yesylevsky S, Bogdanov M, Umeda M. Extreme deformability of insect cell membranes is governed by phospholipid scrambling. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109219. [PMID: 34107250 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Organization of dynamic cellular structure is crucial for a variety of cellular functions. In this study, we report that Drosophila and Aedes have highly elastic cell membranes with extremely low membrane tension and high resistance to mechanical stress. In contrast to other eukaryotic cells, phospholipids are symmetrically distributed between the bilayer leaflets of the insect plasma membrane, where phospholipid scramblase (XKR) that disrupts the lipid asymmetry is constitutively active. We also demonstrate that XKR-facilitated phospholipid scrambling promotes the deformability of cell membranes by regulating both actin cortex dynamics and mechanical properties of the phospholipid bilayer. Moreover, XKR-mediated construction of elastic cell membranes is essential for hemocyte circulation in the Drosophila cardiovascular system. Deformation of mammalian cells is also enhanced by the expression of Aedes XKR, and thus phospholipid scrambling may contribute to formation of highly deformable cell membranes in a variety of living eukaryotic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akifumi Shiomi
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Kohjiro Nagao
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan.
| | - Nobuhiro Yokota
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Masaki Tsuchiya
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Utako Kato
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Naoto Juni
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Yuji Hara
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Masayuki X Mori
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Yasuo Mori
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Kumiko Ui-Tei
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Motohide Murate
- UMR 7021 CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, 74 Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Toshihide Kobayashi
- UMR 7021 CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, 74 Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Yuri Nishino
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, Kouto, Kamigori-cho, Ako-gun, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
| | - Atsuo Miyazawa
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, Kouto, Kamigori-cho, Ako-gun, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
| | - Akihisa Yamamoto
- Center for Integrative Medicine and Physics, Institute for Advanced Study, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Ryo Suzuki
- Center for Integrative Medicine and Physics, Institute for Advanced Study, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Stefan Kaufmann
- Physical Chemistry of Biosystems, Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Motomu Tanaka
- Center for Integrative Medicine and Physics, Institute for Advanced Study, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Physical Chemistry of Biosystems, Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kazuya Tatsumi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Science, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8540, Japan
| | - Kazuyoshi Nakabe
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Science, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8540, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Shintaku
- Microfluidics RIKEN Hakubi Research Team, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Semen Yesylevsky
- Laboratoire Chrono Environnement UMR CNRS 6249, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 Route de Gray, 25030 Besançon Cedex, France; Department of Physics of Biological Systems, Institute of Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Prospect Nauky 46, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Mikhail Bogdanov
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School, 6431 Fannin, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Masato Umeda
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan.
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33
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El-Beyrouthy J, Freeman E. Characterizing the Structure and Interactions of Model Lipid Membranes Using Electrophysiology. MEMBRANES 2021; 11:319. [PMID: 33925756 PMCID: PMC8145864 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11050319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The cell membrane is a protective barrier whose configuration determines the exchange both between intracellular and extracellular regions and within the cell itself. Consequently, characterizing membrane properties and interactions is essential for advancements in topics such as limiting nanoparticle cytotoxicity. Characterization is often accomplished by recreating model membranes that approximate the structure of cellular membranes in a controlled environment, formed using self-assembly principles. The selected method for membrane creation influences the properties of the membrane assembly, including their response to electric fields used for characterizing transmembrane exchanges. When these self-assembled model membranes are combined with electrophysiology, it is possible to exploit their non-physiological mechanics to enable additional measurements of membrane interactions and phenomena. This review describes several common model membranes including liposomes, pore-spanning membranes, solid supported membranes, and emulsion-based membranes, emphasizing their varying structure due to the selected mode of production. Next, electrophysiology techniques that exploit these structures are discussed, including conductance measurements, electrowetting and electrocompression analysis, and electroimpedance spectroscopy. The focus of this review is linking each membrane assembly technique to the properties of the resulting membrane, discussing how these properties enable alternative electrophysiological approaches to measuring membrane characteristics and interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric Freeman
- School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
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34
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Hossein A, Deserno M. Stiffening transition in asymmetric lipid bilayers: The role of highly ordered domains and the effect of temperature and size. J Chem Phys 2021; 154:014704. [PMID: 33412863 DOI: 10.1063/5.0028255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular membranes consist of a large variety of lipids and proteins, with a composition that generally differs between the two leaflets of the same bilayer. One consequence of this asymmetry is thought to be the emergence of differential stress, i.e., a mismatch in the lateral tension of the two leaflets. This can affect a membrane's mechanical properties; for instance, it can increase the bending rigidity once the differential stress exceeds a critical threshold. Using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations based on the MARTINI model, we show that this effect arises due to the formation of more highly ordered domains in the compressed leaflet. The threshold asymmetry increases with temperature, indicating that the transition to a stiffened regime might be restricted to a limited temperature range above the gel transition. We also show that stiffening occurs more readily for larger membranes with smaller typical curvatures, suggesting that the stiffening transition is easier to observe experimentally than in the small-scale systems accessible to simulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirali Hossein
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
| | - Markus Deserno
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
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35
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Faizi HA, Reeves CJ, Georgiev VN, Vlahovska PM, Dimova R. Fluctuation spectroscopy of giant unilamellar vesicles using confocal and phase contrast microscopy. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:8996-9001. [PMID: 32966528 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm00943a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
A widely used method to measure the bending rigidity of bilayer membranes is fluctuation spectroscopy, which analyses the thermally-driven membrane undulations of giant unilamellar vesicles recorded with either phase-contrast or confocal microscopy. Here, we analyze the fluctuations of the same vesicle using both techniques and obtain consistent values for the bending modulus. We discuss the factors that may lead to discrepancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hammad A Faizi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA. and Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Science Park Golm, 14424 Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Cody J Reeves
- Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Vasil N Georgiev
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Science Park Golm, 14424 Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Petia M Vlahovska
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA. and Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Rumiana Dimova
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Science Park Golm, 14424 Potsdam, Germany.
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36
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Carter JW, Gonzalez MA, Brooks NJ, Seddon JM, Bresme F. Flip-flop asymmetry of cholesterol in model membranes induced by thermal gradients. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:5925-5932. [PMID: 32538402 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm00546k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Lipid asymmetry is a crucial property of biological membranes and significantly influences their physical and mechanical properties. It is responsible for maintaining different chemical environments on the external and internal surfaces of cells and organelles and plays a vital role in many biological processes such as cell signalling and budding. In this work we show, using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations, that thermal fields can induce lipid asymmetry in biological membranes. We focus our investigation on cholesterol, an abundant lipid in the plasma membrane, with a rapid flip-flop rate, significantly influencing membrane properties. We demonstrate that thermal fields induce membrane asymmetry with cholesterol showing thermophobic behaviour and therefore accumulating on the cold side of the membrane. This work highlights a possible experimental route to preparing and controlling asymmetry in synthetic membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Carter
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, MSRH building, 80 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK.
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37
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Schaich M, Sobota D, Sleath H, Cama J, Keyser UF. Characterization of lipid composition and diffusivity in OLA generated vesicles. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183359. [PMID: 32416194 PMCID: PMC7322398 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUVs) are a versatile tool in many branches of science, including biophysics and synthetic biology. Octanol-Assisted Liposome Assembly (OLA), a recently developed microfluidic technique enables the production and testing of GUVs within a single device under highly controlled experimental conditions. It is therefore gaining significant interest as a platform for use in drug discovery, the production of artificial cells and more generally for controlled studies of the properties of lipid membranes. In this work, we expand the capabilities of the OLA technique by forming GUVs of tunable binary lipid mixtures of DOPC, DOPG and DOPE. Using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching we investigated the lateral diffusion coefficients of lipids in OLA liposomes and found the expected values in the range of 1 μm2/s for the lipid systems tested. We studied the OLA derived GUVs under a range of conditions and compared the results with electroformed vesicles. Overall, we found the lateral diffusion coefficients of lipids in vesicles obtained with OLA to be quantitatively similar to those in vesicles obtained via traditional electroformation. Our results provide a quantitative biophysical validation of the quality of OLA derived GUVs, which will facilitate the wider use of this versatile platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Schaich
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
| | - Diana Sobota
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah Sleath
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
| | - Jehangir Cama
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom; Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom; College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Harrison Building, Streatham Campus, North Park Road, Exeter EX4 4QF, United Kingdom.
| | - Ulrich F Keyser
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom.
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38
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Petukhov MV, Konarev PV, Dadinova LA, Fedorova NV, Volynsky PE, Svergun DI, Batishchev OV, Shtykova EV. Quasi-Atomistic Approach to Modeling of Liposomes. CRYSTALLOGR REP+ 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1063774520020182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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39
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Makarova M, Peter M, Balogh G, Glatz A, MacRae JI, Lopez Mora N, Booth P, Makeyev E, Vigh L, Oliferenko S. Delineating the Rules for Structural Adaptation of Membrane-Associated Proteins to Evolutionary Changes in Membrane Lipidome. Curr Biol 2020; 30:367-380.e8. [PMID: 31956022 PMCID: PMC6997885 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.11.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Membrane function is fundamental to life. Each species explores membrane lipid diversity within a genetically predefined range of possibilities. How membrane lipid composition in turn defines the functional space available for evolution of membrane-centered processes remains largely unknown. We address this fundamental question using related fission yeasts Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Schizosaccharomyces japonicus. We show that, unlike S. pombe that generates membranes where both glycerophospholipid acyl tails are predominantly 16-18 carbons long, S. japonicus synthesizes unusual "asymmetrical" glycerophospholipids where the tails differ in length by 6-8 carbons. This results in stiffer bilayers with distinct lipid packing properties. Retroengineered S. pombe synthesizing the S.-japonicus-type phospholipids exhibits unfolded protein response and downregulates secretion. Importantly, our protein sequence comparisons and domain swap experiments support the hypothesis that transmembrane helices co-evolve with membranes, suggesting that, on the evolutionary scale, changes in membrane lipid composition may necessitate extensive adaptation of the membrane-associated proteome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Makarova
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK; Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Maria Peter
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Temesvári krt. 62, Szeged 6726, Hungary
| | - Gabor Balogh
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Temesvári krt. 62, Szeged 6726, Hungary
| | - Attila Glatz
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Temesvári krt. 62, Szeged 6726, Hungary
| | - James I MacRae
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Nestor Lopez Mora
- Department of Chemistry, King's College London, Britannia House, London SE1 1DB, UK
| | - Paula Booth
- Department of Chemistry, King's College London, Britannia House, London SE1 1DB, UK
| | - Eugene Makeyev
- MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Laszlo Vigh
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Temesvári krt. 62, Szeged 6726, Hungary
| | - Snezhana Oliferenko
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK; Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK.
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40
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Konarev PV, Petoukhov MV, Dadinova LA, Fedorova NV, Volynsky PE, Svergun DI, Batishchev OV, Shtykova EV. BILMIX: a new approach to restore the size polydispersity and electron density profiles of lipid bilayers from liposomes using small-angle X-ray scattering data. J Appl Crystallogr 2020. [DOI: 10.1107/s1600576719015656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is one of the major tools for the study of model membranes, but interpretation of the scattering data remains non-trivial. Current approaches allow the extraction of some structural parameters and the electron density profile of lipid bilayers. Here it is demonstrated that parametric modelling can be employed to determine the polydispersity of spherical or ellipsoidal vesicles and describe the electron density profile across the lipid bilayer. This approach is implemented in the computer program BILMIX. BILMIX delivers a description of the electron density of a lipid bilayer from SAXS data and simultaneously generates the corresponding size distribution of the unilamellar lipid vesicles.
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41
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Rickeard BW, Nguyen MHL, DiPasquale M, Yip CG, Baker H, Heberle FA, Zuo X, Kelley EG, Nagao M, Marquardt D. Transverse lipid organization dictates bending fluctuations in model plasma membranes. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:1438-1447. [PMID: 31746906 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr07977g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Membrane undulations play a vital role in many biological processes, including the regulation of membrane protein activity. The asymmetric lipid composition of most biological membranes complicates theoretical description of these bending fluctuations, yet experimental data that would inform any such a theory is scarce. Here, we used neutron spin-echo (NSE) spectroscopy to measure the bending fluctuations of large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) having an asymmetric transbilayer distribution of high- and low-melting lipids. The asymmetric vesicles were prepared using cyclodextrin-mediated lipid exchange, and were composed of an outer leaflet enriched in egg sphingomyelin (ESM) and an inner leaflet enriched in 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphoethanolamine (POPE), which have main transition temperatures of 37 °C and 25 °C, respectively. The overall membrane bending rigidity was measured at three temperatures: 15 °C, where both lipids are in a gel state; 45 °C, where both lipids are in a fluid state; and 30 °C, where there is gel-fluid co-existence. Remarkably, the dynamics for the fluid asymmetric LUVs (aLUVs) at 30 °C and 45 °C do not follow trends predicted by their symmetric counterparts. At 30 °C, compositional asymmetry suppressed the bending fluctuations, with the asymmetric bilayer exhibiting a larger bending modulus than that of symmetric bilayers corresponding to either the outer or inner leaflet. We conclude that the compositional asymmetry and leaflet coupling influence the internal dissipation within the bilayer and result in membrane properties that cannot be directly predicted from corresponding symmetric bilayers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett W Rickeard
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada.
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42
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Hossein A, Deserno M. Spontaneous Curvature, Differential Stress, and Bending Modulus of Asymmetric Lipid Membranes. Biophys J 2019; 118:624-642. [PMID: 31954503 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.11.3398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipid bilayers can exhibit asymmetric states, in which the physical characteristics of one leaflet differ from those of the other. This most visibly manifests in a different lipid composition, but it can also involve opposing lateral stresses in each leaflet that combine to an overall vanishing membrane tension. Here, we use theoretical modeling and coarse-grained simulation to explore the interplay between a compositional asymmetry and a nonvanishing differential stress. Minimizing the total elastic energy leads to a preferred spontaneous curvature that balances torques due to both bending moments and differential stress, with sometimes unexpected consequences. For instance, asymmetric flat bilayers, whose specific areas in each leaflet are matched to those of corresponding tensionless symmetric flat membranes, still exhibit a residual differential stress because the conditions of vanishing area strain and vanishing bending moment differ. We also measure the curvature rigidity of asymmetric bilayers and find that a sufficiently strong differential stress, but not compositional asymmetry alone, can increase the bending modulus. The likely cause is a stiffening of the compressed leaflet, which appears to be related to its gel transition but not identical with it. We finally show that the impact of cholesterol on differential stress depends on the relative strength of elastic and thermodynamic driving forces: if cholesterol solvates equally well in both leaflets, it will redistribute to cancel both leaflet tensions almost completely, but if its partitioning free energy prefers one leaflet over the other, the resulting distribution bias may even create differential stress. Because cells keep most of their lipid bilayers in an asymmetric nonequilibrium steady state, our findings suggest that biomembranes are elastically more complex than previously thought: besides a spontaneous curvature, they might also exhibit significant differential stress, which could strongly affect their curvature energetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirali Hossein
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Markus Deserno
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Lyman E, Sodt AJ. Differential or Curvature Stress? Modus Vivendi. Biophys J 2019; 118:535-537. [PMID: 32023440 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.11.3399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Edward Lyman
- Departments of Physics and Astronomy and Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware.
| | - Alexander J Sodt
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Moga A, Yandrapalli N, Dimova R, Robinson T. Optimization of the Inverted Emulsion Method for High-Yield Production of Biomimetic Giant Unilamellar Vesicles. Chembiochem 2019; 20:2674-2682. [PMID: 31529570 PMCID: PMC6856842 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201900529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
In the field of bottom-up synthetic biology, lipid vesicles provide an important role in the construction of artificial cells. Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), due to their membrane's similarity to natural biomembranes, have been widely used as cellular mimics. So far, several methods exist for the production of GUVs with the possibility to encapsulate biological macromolecules. The inverted emulsion-based method is one such technique, which has great potential for rapid production of GUVs with high encapsulation efficiencies for large biomolecules. However, the lack of understanding of various parameters that affect production yields has resulted in sparse adaptation within the membrane and bottom-up synthetic biology research communities. Here, we optimize various parameters of the inverted emulsion-based method to maximize the production of GUVs. We demonstrate that the density difference between the emulsion droplets, oil phase, and the outer aqueous phase plays a crucial role in vesicle formation. We also investigated the impact that centrifugation speed/time, lipid concentration, pH, temperature, and emulsion droplet volume has on vesicle yield and size. Compared to conventional electroformation, our preparation method was not found to significantly alter the membrane mechanical properties. Finally, we optimize the parameters to minimize the time from workbench to microscope and in this way open up the possibility of time-sensitive experiments. In conclusion, our findings will promote the usage of the inverted emulsion method for basic membrane biophysics studies as well as the development of GUVs for use as future artificial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha Moga
- Theory & Bio-Systems DepartmentMax Planck Institute of Colloids and InterfacesPotsdam-Golm Science Park14424PotsdamGermany
| | - Naresh Yandrapalli
- Theory & Bio-Systems DepartmentMax Planck Institute of Colloids and InterfacesPotsdam-Golm Science Park14424PotsdamGermany
| | - Rumiana Dimova
- Theory & Bio-Systems DepartmentMax Planck Institute of Colloids and InterfacesPotsdam-Golm Science Park14424PotsdamGermany
| | - Tom Robinson
- Theory & Bio-Systems DepartmentMax Planck Institute of Colloids and InterfacesPotsdam-Golm Science Park14424PotsdamGermany
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45
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Galle JN, Fechtner T, Eierhoff T, Römer W, Hegemann JH. A Chlamydia pneumoniae adhesin induces phosphatidylserine exposure on host cells. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4644. [PMID: 31604911 PMCID: PMC6789132 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12419-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammalian cells, the internal and external leaflets of the plasma membrane (PM) possess different phospholipids. Phosphatidylserine (PS) is normally confined to the inner (cytoplasmic) membrane leaflet. Here we report that the adhesin CPn0473 of the human pathogenic bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) binds to the PM of human cells and induces PS externalization but unexpectedly not apoptosis. PS externalization is increased in human cells exposed to infectious Cpn cells expressing increased CPn0473 and reduced in exposure to Cpn expressing decreased CPn0473. CPn0473 binds specifically to synthetic membranes carrying PS and stimulates pore formation. Asymmetric giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) in which PS is restricted to the inner leaflet reveal that CPn0473 induces PS externalization in the absence of other proteins. Thus our identification of CPn0473 as a bacterial PS translocator capable of specific and apoptosis-independent PS externalization during infection extends the spectrum of mechanisms intracellular pathogens use to enter host cells. The Chlamydia pneumoniae adhesin LIPP plays a role in host cell entry and infection. Here, the authors find that LIPP binds to the host plasma membrane and mediates phosphatidylserine translocation, enhancing pathogen internalization without induction of apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan N Galle
- Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Genomforschung der Mikroorganismen, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Tim Fechtner
- Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Genomforschung der Mikroorganismen, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Thorsten Eierhoff
- Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Evolution, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 18, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University Hospital Münster, Albert Schweitzer Campus 1, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Winfried Römer
- Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 18, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Johannes H Hegemann
- Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Genomforschung der Mikroorganismen, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Tyler AII, Greenfield JL, Seddon JM, Brooks NJ, Purushothaman S. Coupling Phase Behavior of Fatty Acid Containing Membranes to Membrane Bio-Mechanics. Front Cell Dev Biol 2019; 7:187. [PMID: 31616666 PMCID: PMC6763698 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2019.00187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological membranes constantly modulate their fluidity for proper functioning of the cell. Modulation of membrane properties via regulation of fatty acid composition has gained a renewed interest owing to its relevance in endocytosis, endoplasmic reticulum membrane homeostasis, and adaptation mechanisms in the deep sea. Endowed with significant degrees of freedom, the presence of free fatty acids can alter the curvature of membranes which in turn can alter the response of curvature sensing proteins, thus defining adaptive ways to reconfigure membranes. Most significantly, recent experiments demonstrated that polyunsaturated lipids facilitate membrane bending and fission by endocytic proteins – the first step in the biogenesis of synaptic vesicles. Despite the vital roles of fatty acids, a systematic study relating the interactions between fatty acids and membrane and the consequent effect on the bio-mechanics of membranes under the influence of fatty acids has been sparse. Of specific interest is the vast disparity in the properties of cis and trans fatty acids, that only differ in the orientation of the double bond and yet have entirely unique and opposing chemical properties. Here we demonstrate a combined X-ray diffraction and membrane fluctuation analysis method to couple the structural properties to the biophysical properties of fatty acid-laden membranes to address current gaps in our understanding. By systematically doping pure dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine (DOPC) membranes with cis fatty acid and trans fatty acid we demonstrate that the presence of fatty acids doesn’t always fluidize the membrane. Rather, an intricate balance between the curvature, molecular interactions, as well as the amount of specific fatty acid dictates the fluidity of membranes. Lower concentrations are dominated by the nature of interactions between the phospholipid and the fatty acids. Trans fatty acid increases the rigidity while decreasing the area per lipid similar to the properties depicted by the addition of saturated fatty acids to lipidic membranes. Cis fatty acid however displays the accepted view of having a fluidizing effect at small concentrations. At higher concentrations curvature frustration dominates, leading to increased rigidity irrespective of the type of fatty acid. These results are consistent with theoretical predictions as detailed in the manuscript.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arwen I I Tyler
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.,School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Jake L Greenfield
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - John M Seddon
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas J Brooks
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sowmya Purushothaman
- Department of Material Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Steinkühler J, Sezgin E, Urbančič I, Eggeling C, Dimova R. Mechanical properties of plasma membrane vesicles correlate with lipid order, viscosity and cell density. Commun Biol 2019; 2:337. [PMID: 31531398 PMCID: PMC6744421 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0583-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulation of plasma membrane curvature and composition governs essential cellular processes. The material property of bending rigidity describes the energetic cost of membrane deformations and depends on the plasma membrane molecular composition. Because of compositional fluctuations and active processes, it is challenging to measure it in intact cells. Here, we study the plasma membrane using giant plasma membrane vesicles (GPMVs), which largely preserve the plasma membrane lipidome and proteome. We show that the bending rigidity of plasma membranes under varied conditions is correlated to readout from environment-sensitive dyes, which are indicative of membrane order and microviscosity. This correlation holds across different cell lines, upon cholesterol depletion or enrichment of the plasma membrane, and variations in cell density. Thus, polarity- and viscosity-sensitive probes represent a promising indicator of membrane mechanical properties. Additionally, our results allow for identifying synthetic membranes with a few well defined lipids as optimal plasma membrane mimetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Steinkühler
- Theory and Bio-Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Science Park Golm, 14424 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Erdinc Sezgin
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS UK
| | - Iztok Urbančič
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS UK
- Condensed Matter Physics Department, “Jožef Stefan” Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Christian Eggeling
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS UK
- Institute of Applied Optics Friedrich‐Schiller‐University Jena, Max-Wien Platz 4, 07743 Jena, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology e.V., Albert-Einstein-Straße 9, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Rumiana Dimova
- Theory and Bio-Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Science Park Golm, 14424 Potsdam, Germany
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Abstract
Cells are the basic units of life, and can be mimicked to create artificial analogs enabling the investigation of cellular mechanisms under controlled conditions. Building biomimetic systems ranging from proto-cells to cell-like objects such as compartment membranes can be achieved by collecting biobricks that self-assemble to build simplified models performing specific functions. Hence, scientists can develop and optimize new synthetic cells with biological functions by taking inspiration from nature and exploiting the advantages of synthetic biology. However, the bottom-down approach is not restricted to the basic principles of biological cells, and new mimicry systems can be designed starting with a combination of living and non-living simple molecules to focus on a cellular machinery function. In recent years, microfluidic devices have been well established to engineer bioarchitecture models resembling cell-like structures involving vesicles, compartmentalization, synthetic membranes, and the chip itself as a synthetic cell. This review aims to highlight the role of biological cells and their impact on inspiring the development of biomimetic models. The combination of the principles of synthetic biology with microfluidic technology represents the newly-introduced field of synthetic cells and synthetic membranes that can be further exploited in diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
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Forth J, Kim PY, Xie G, Liu X, Helms BA, Russell TP. Building Reconfigurable Devices Using Complex Liquid-Fluid Interfaces. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2019; 31:e1806370. [PMID: 30828869 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201806370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Liquid-fluid interfaces provide a platform both for structuring liquids into complex shapes and assembling dimensionally confined, functional nanomaterials. Historically, attention in this area has focused on simple emulsions and foams, in which surface-active materials such as surfactants or colloids stabilize structures against coalescence and alter the mechanical properties of the interface. In recent decades, however, a growing body of work has begun to demonstrate the full potential of the assembly of nanomaterials at liquid-fluid interfaces to generate functionally advanced, biomimetic systems. Here, a broad overview is given, from fundamentals to applications, of the use of liquid-fluid interfaces to generate complex, all-liquid devices with a myriad of potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe Forth
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Paul Y Kim
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Ganhua Xie
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Polymer Science and Engineering Department, University of Massachusetts, 120 Governors Drive, Conte Center for Polymer Research, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Xubo Liu
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Brett A Helms
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Thomas P Russell
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Polymer Science and Engineering Department, University of Massachusetts, 120 Governors Drive, Conte Center for Polymer Research, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
- WPI-Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
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50
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Supramaniam P, Ces O, Salehi-Reyhani A. Microfluidics for Artificial Life: Techniques for Bottom-Up Synthetic Biology. MICROMACHINES 2019; 10:E299. [PMID: 31052344 PMCID: PMC6562628 DOI: 10.3390/mi10050299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic biology is a rapidly growing multidisciplinary branch of science that exploits the advancement of molecular and cellular biology. Conventional modification of pre-existing cells is referred to as the top-down approach. Bottom-up synthetic biology is an emerging complementary branch that seeks to construct artificial cells from natural or synthetic components. One of the aims in bottom-up synthetic biology is to construct or mimic the complex pathways present in living cells. The recent, and rapidly growing, application of microfluidics in the field is driven by the central tenet of the bottom-up approach-the pursuit of controllably generating artificial cells with precisely defined parameters, in terms of molecular and geometrical composition. In this review we survey conventional methods of artificial cell synthesis and their limitations. We proceed to show how microfluidic approaches have been pivotal in overcoming these limitations and ushering in a new generation of complexity that may be imbued in artificial cells and the milieu of applications that result.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pashiini Supramaniam
- Department of Chemistry, White City Campus, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
| | - Oscar Ces
- Department of Chemistry, White City Campus, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
- FabriCELL, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
| | - Ali Salehi-Reyhani
- FabriCELL, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
- Department of Chemistry, King's College London, Britannia House, London SE1 1DB, UK.
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