The importance of cholesterol in maintenance of P-glycoprotein activity and its membrane perturbing influence

In tumour cell lines that display multidrug resistance, expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) alters many aspects of biomembrane organization in addition to its well-characterized drug transport activity. We have developed a reconstitution system to directly investigate the effect of purified P-gp on the biophysical properties of lipid bilayers. Using a mixed detergent system it was possible to efficiently reconstitute P-gp at lipid:protein ratios as low as 2.5 (w/w) by removal of detergent using adsorption to SM-2 BioBeads. P-gp was able to alter many biophysical parameters associated with lipid organization within bilayers. For example, the changes in overall fluidity and excimer formation by lipid analogues indicate modified packing organization of bilayer constituents. Surprisingly, given its role in conferring drug resistance, P-gp insertion into bilayers also caused significantly increased permeability to aqueous compounds, also reflecting a modified phospholipid environment. Translocation of various phospholipid species between leaflets of the bilayer was increased in the presence of P-gp; however, the effect was not dependent on ATP hydrolysis by the protein. Physiological concentrations of cholesterol modified P-gp function and the degree to which it perturbed bilayer organization. The basal ATPase activity of P-gp was increased in a dose-dependent fashion by the incorporation of cholesterol in PC:PE liposomes. In addition, the degree to which the modulator verapamil was able to stimulate this basal ATPase activity was reduced by the presence of cholesterol in proteoliposomes. However, the potency of verapamil was unaltered, suggesting a specific effect, not simply caused by lower drug penetration into the cholesterol containing bilayers. In summary, P-gp is able to cause perturbation in the organization of bilayer constituents. Cholesterol imparted "stability" to this perturbation of bilayer organization by P-gp and moreover this led to altered protein function.

Lipid distribution and transport across cellular membranes

In eukaryotic cells, the membranes of different intracellular organelles have different lipid composition, and various biomembranes show an asymmetric distribution of lipid types across the membrane bilayer. Membrane lipid organization reflects a dynamic equilibrium of lipids moving across the bilayer in both directions. In this review, we summarize data supporting the role of specific membrane proteins in catalyzing transbilayer lipid movement, thereby controlling and regulating the distribution of lipids over the leaflets of biomembranes.

Formation of unilamellar vesicles by repetitive freeze-thaw cycles: characterization by electron microscopy and 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance

It has been reported that repetitive freeze-thaw cycles of aqueous suspensions of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine form vesicles with a diameter smaller than 200 nm. We have applied the same treatment to a series of phospholipid suspensions with particular emphasis on dioleoylphosphatidylcholine/dioleoylphosphatidic acid (DOPC/DOPA) mixtures. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy revealed that these unsaturated lipids form unilamellar vesicles after 10 cycles of freeze-thawing. Both electron microscopy and broad-band 31P NMR spectra indicated a disparity of the vesicle sizes with a highest frequency for small unilamellar vesicles (diameters < or =30 nm) and a population of larger vesicles with a frequency decreasing exponentially as the diameter increases. From 31P NMR investigations we inferred that the average diameter of DOPC/DOPA vesicles calculated on the basis of an exponential size distribution was of the order of 100 nm after 10 freeze-thaw cycles and only 60 nm after 50 cycles. Fragmentation by repeated freeze-thawing does not have the same efficiency for all lipid mixtures. As found already by others, fragmentation into small vesicles requires the presence of salt and does not take place in pure water. Repetitive freeze-thawing is also efficient to fragment large unilamellar vesicles obtained by filtration. If applied to sonicated DOPC vesicles, freeze-thawing treatment causes fusion of sonicated unilamellar vesicles into larger vesicles only in pure water. These experiments show the usefulness of NMR as a complementary technique to electron microscopy for size determination of lipid vesicles. The applicability of the freeze-thaw technique to different lipid mixtures confirms that this procedure is a simple way to obtain unilamellar vesicles.

Polarization transfer in lipid membranes

Polarization transfer is a key experiment for the detection of insensitive nuclei by NMR. Transfer in liquids is often achieved through J-coupling using the INEPT experiment, while in solids the dipolar coupling is used with cross polarization. Liquid crystals, including lipid membranes, are intermediate cases between solids and liquids. In the present article, we compare several transfer methods for lipid membranes spinning at the magic angle. It is shown that the most commonly used cross polarization technique is, in most cases, advantageously replaced by refocused INEPT or even by the NOE enhancement experiment, a method that is not normally used in that context. In principle, these enhancement techniques could be applied to other systems, including biological tissues and, more generally, soft matter systems that are neither solid nor liquid by NMR standards.

ABC1 promotes engulfment of apoptotic cells and transbilayer redistribution of phosphatidylserine

ATP-binding-cassette transporter 1 (ABC1) has been implicated in processes related to membrane-lipid turnover. Here, using in vivo loss-of-function and in vitro gain-of-function models, we show that ABC1 promotes Ca2+-induced exposure of phosphatidylserine at the membrane, as determined by a prothrombinase assay, membrane microvesiculation and measurement of transbilayer redistribution of spin-labelled phospholipids. That ABC1 promotes engulfment of dead cells is shown by the impaired ability of ABC1-deficient macrophages to engulf apoptotic preys and by the acquisition of phagocytic behaviour by ABC1 transfectants. Release of membrane phospholipids and cholesterol to apo-AI, the protein core of the cholesterol-shuttling high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particle, is also ABC1-dependent. We propose that both the efficiency of apoptotic-cell engulfment and the efflux of cellular lipids depend on ABC1-induced perturbation of membrane phosphatidylserine turnover. Transient local exposure of anionic phospholipids in the outer membrane leaflet may be sufficient to alter the general properties of the membrane and thus influence discrete physiological functions.

Transmembrane movement of diether phospholipids in human erythrocytes and human fibroblasts

We have synthesized spin-labeled (SL) and fluorescently labeled diacyl, 1-alkyl-2-acyl-, and di-alkyl glycerophospholipids. The sn-2 chain was a short chain with either a nitroxide group or a 7-nitro-2, 1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl (NBD). After incorporation in the exoplasmic leaflet of human erythrocytes, we found that SL-phosphatidylcholine (PC) redistributed very slowly across the plasma membrane, less than 20% reaching the cytoplasmic leaflet in 3 h at 37 degrees C. In contrast, SL-phosphatidylserine (PS) accumulated on the cytoplasmic leaflet with the same plateau corresponding to 90% of the probes inside. The characteristic times for inward redistribution were different for the three PS analogues: at 37 degrees C, the t(1/2) for the diacyl, alkyl-acyl, and dialkyl compounds were 2.3, 3.5, and 41 min, respectively. ATP depletion or incubation with N-ethylmaleimide inhibited the rapid translocation of the PS derivatives. The diether PS bearing an NBD group translocated very slowly in human erythrocytes and no acceleration by ATP could be measured. On the other hand, in human fibroblasts, the diether NBD-PS and SL-PS were both transported from the exoplasmic to the cytoplasmic monolayer of the plasma membrane as it is the case for the transport of the respective diester PS analogues. These results prove that the ether bonds do not prevent completely PS binding and translocation by the aminophospholipid translocase despite a probable hindrance due to the ether linkage on the sn-2 chain. Because of the high stability of the ether linkage, SL and NBD diether analogues should be useful to investigate lipid traffic in cultured cells.

Is lipid translocation involved during endo- and exocytosis?

Stimulation of the aminophospholipid translocase, responsible for the transport of phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine from the outer to the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane, provokes endocytic-like vesicles in erythrocytes and stimulates endocytosis in K562 cells. In this article arguments are given which support the idea that the active transport of lipids could be the driving force involved in membrane folding during the early step of endocytosis. The model is sustained by experiments on shape changes of pure lipid vesicles triggered by a change in the proportion of inner and outer lipids. It is shown that the formation of microvesicles with a diameter of 100-200 nm caused by the translocation of plasma membrane lipids implies a surface tension in the whole membrane. It is likely that cytoskeleton proteins and inner organelles prevent a real cell from undergoing overall shape changes of the type seen with giant unilamellar vesicles. Another hypothesis put forward in this article is the possible implication of the phospholipid 'scramblase' during exocytosis which could favor the unfolding of microvesicles.

Translational diffusion of globular proteins in the cytoplasm of cultured muscle cells

Modulated fringe pattern photobleaching (MFPP) was used to measure the translational diffusion of microinjected fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled proteins of different sizes in the cytoplasm of cultured muscle cells. This technique, which is an extension of the classical fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) technique, allows the measurement of the translational diffusion of macromolecules over several microns. Proteins used had molecular masses between 21 and 540 kDa. The results clearly indicated that the diffusivity of the various proteins is a decreasing function of their hydrodynamic radius. This decrease is more rapid with globular proteins than with FITC-labeled dextrans (, Biophys. J. 70:2327-2332), most likely because, unlike globular proteins, dextrans are randomly coiled macromolecules with a flexible structure. These data do not exclude the possibility of a rapid diffusion over a short distance, unobservable with our experimental set-up, which would take place within the first milliseconds after bleaching and would correspond to the diffusion in restricted domains followed by impeded diffusion provoked by the network of microtubules, microfilaments, and intermediate filaments. Thus our results may complement rather than contradict those of Verkman and collaborators (, J. Cell Biol. 138:1-12). The biological consequence of the size-dependent restriction of the mobility of proteins in the cell cytoplasm is that the formation of intracellular complexes with other proteins considerably reduces their mobility.

Detection of phosphatidylserine surface exposure on human erythrocytes using annexin V-ferrofluid

The asymmetric transbilayer distribution of phospholipids in the plasma membrane and the regulation of phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure at the cell surface of animal cells are of high physiological significance. It has been shown previously that annexin V is one of the most sensitive tools with which the presence of small amounts of PS on the outer surface of eukaryotic cells can be detected. We present here the covalent coupling of annexin V molecules to magnetic nanoparticles of maghemite. The resulting annexin V-ferrofluid is used in the magnetic separation of PS exposing cells, as illustrated for human erythrocytes modified in their phospholipid transbilayer asymmetry by the use of a calcium ionophore. Results on stored human erythrocytes and comparison with results obtained using iodinated and fluorescein-labeled annexin V are also presented.

Transbilayer movement and distribution of spin-labelled phospholipids in the inner mitochondrial membrane

The transmembrane diffusion and equilibrium distribution of spin-labelled phosphatidylethanolamine (PE*), phosphatidylcholine (PC*) and cardiolipin (CL*) were investigated in purified mitochondrial inner membranes using electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Using the back exchange technique, we found that the outside-inside movement of PE* and PC* in beef-heart inner mitochondrial membranes was rapid (t1/2 in the range 10-15 min at 30 degrees C). The steady-state distributions in non-energised mitoplasts were approximately 30% in the inner leaflet for PC* and 39% for PE*. Within the limits of probe concentration that can possibly be used in these experiments, the initial velocity of the inward movement was not saturable with respect to the amount of analogue added to the membranes, suggesting that the spin-labelled phospholipids diffused passively between the two leaflets of the inner mitochondrial membrane. In energised mitoplasts, PC* behaviour was not affected, PE* diffused approximately two times faster toward the inner monolayer but reached the same plateau. Treatment of energised mitochondria with N-ethylmaleimide did not affect PC* diffusion, while the kinetics of PE* internalisation became identical to that of PC*. Similar results were found when PC* and PE* movements were studied in mitoplasts from beef heart, rat liver or yeast. The spin-labelled cardiolipin, which possesses four long chains, had to be introduced in the mitoplast with some ethanol. After equilibration (t1/2 of the order of 13 min at 30 degrees C), the transmembrane distribution suggested that approximately half of the cardiolipin analogue remained in the outer leaflet. These results do not allow us to determine if a specific protein (or flippase) is involved in the phospholipid transmembrane traffic within inner mitochondrial membranes, but they show that lipids can rapidly flip through the mitochondrial membrane.

Solid-state NMR for the study of membrane systems: the use of anisotropic interactions

The use of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) as a tool to determine the structure of membrane molecules is reviewed with a particular emphasis on techniques that provide information on orientation or order. Experiments reported here have been performed in membranes, rather than in micelles or organic solvents. Several ways to prepare and handle the samples are discussed, like sample orientation and magic-angle spinning (MAS). Results concerning lipids, membrane peptides and proteins are included, as well as a discussion regarding the potential of such methods and their pitfalls.

Aminophospholipid translocase and proteins involved in transmembrane phospholipid traffic

The transmembrane distribution of phospholipids in the membranes of eukaryotic cells depends on specific proteins (called flippases). The aminophospholipid translocase is responsible for the sequestration of phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine in the cytosolic leaflet of plasma membranes. Several laboratories are presently working on the identification, purification and cloning of this Mg-ATPase, first recognized in the human red cell membrane. In accordance with the 1992 hypothesis of Higgins and Gottesman, proteins of the MDR1 family appear to be able to translocate certain phospholipids from the inner to the outer monolayer of the plasma membrane. It has been reported in particular that expression of the human MDR3 and mouse mdr2 genes promote translocation of long chain phosphatidylcholine, while expression of the MDR1 gene stimulates the outward motion of phospholipids possessing at least one short chain. ATP-independent flippases activities were recognized not only in microsomes but also in Golgi membranes.

Phosphatidylserine exposure and aminophospholipid translocase activity in Rh-deficient erythrocytes

Endogenous phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure and lipid transport activity have been investigated for seven unrelated cases of Rhnull erythrocytes. Endogenous PS exposure was measured by prothrombinase activity. Out of six cases studied, two Rhnull samples exhibited abnormal aminophospholipid exposure, as suggested by the measurement of a lower Km of factor Xa for prothrombin. Aminophospholipid translocase activity was measured through the transbilayer redistribution of spin-labelled analogues of phospholipids. Provided that incubation conditions allow the maintainance of intracellular ATP level, no difference was observed between Rhnull and control erythrocytes, clearly indicating that the aminophospholipid translocase and Rh polypeptides are different molecular species.

Characterization of the correlation between ATP-dependent aminophospholipid translocation and Mg2+-ATPase activity in red blood cell membranes

Pseudosubstrates and inhibitors of ATPases were studied with respect to their capability to modulate the kinetic behavior of Mg2+-ATPase and aminophospholipid translocation in red blood cell ghosts. ATP was substituted by the pseudosubstrates of P-type ATPases acetyl phosphate and p-nitrophenyl phosphate. With both pseudosubstrates, aminophospholipid translocation from the outer to the inner leaflets of resealed erythrocyte ghosts could be observed, although with a significantly decreased velocity compared to that in presence of ATP, both with respect to phosphate hydrolysis and translocation. Similarly, the apparent affinities for the pseudosubstrates were much lower than for ATP. Among the inhibitors studied, suramin acted as a competitive inhibitor of ATP towards both Mg2+-ATPase activity and aminophospholipid translocation. However, the inhibition of translocation occurred at a higher inhibitor concentration than the inhibition of Mg2+-ATPase activity. With elaiophylin, only a partial inhibition of Mg2+-ATPase activity could be detected, but translocation of labeled phosphatidylserine was almost completely abolished. With eosin Y, an almost complete inhibition of both Mg2+-ATPase activity and translocation could be achieved. The observed responses of aminophospholipid translocation to ATPase inhibitors strongly suggest that a P-type ATPase, part of which displays a Mg2+-ATPase activity, is involved in aminophospholipid translocation.

Drug-induced transmembrane lipid scrambling in erythrocytes and in liposomes requires the presence of polyanionic phospholipids

The asymmetric transmembrane distribution of phospholipids between the two bilayer halves of erythrocyte can be modified upon addition of cationic amphiphilic drugs, such as chlorpromazine or verapamil. We studied this phenomenon in erythrocytes and in lipid vesicles using spin-labelled analogues of the endogenous phospholipids. The extent of the rapid disappearance of the analogues from the erythrocyte outer leaflet depended on the concentration of the drug. Up to 40% of spin-labelled sphingomyelin moved to the inner erythrocyte leaflet in 10 min in the presence of 1.5 mm chlorpromazine. Verapamil or vinblastine gave similar results. On the other hand, the inside-outside movement of the aminophospholipid analogues was less evident, and did not exceed 10%. This apparent discrepancy between inward and outward movements could result from the formation of an endovesicle which is known to occur upon drug addition at high concentration. A fraction of lipids would be trapped in the intravesicular leaflet, corresponding to the cell outer leaflet, and be inaccessible both from the cytoplasm and the extracellular medium. In cells submitted to a metabolic depletion of cellular ATP the intensity of the scrambling induced by the amphipaths was drastically lowered. We attribute this effect to the important reduction of the membrane content in phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). The involvement of the latter lipid in triggering scrambling was partly confirmed by experiments carried out with artificial membranes. Indeed, in large unilamellar vesicles PIP2 is required in order to obtain a rapid redistribution of phospholipids between the two leaflets upon addition of drugs. However, the extent of phospholipid redistribution was limited to 15-20%. This redistribution was also induced when the vesicle membrane contained di-anionic phospholipids (phosphatidylinositol-4-monophosphate or diphosphatidylglycerol), but did not occur when it contained mono-anionic phospholipids (phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylinositol). Some drugs such as methochlorpromazine, active in artificial membranes, were ineffective in erythrocyte membranes, probably because they could not cross the membrane and reach PIP2 molecules at the cytoplasmic leaflet.

Antagonist effects of Ca2+ and spermine on phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate-mediated transmembrane redistribution of phospholipids in large unilamellar vesicles and in erythrocytes

We have previously suggested the involvement of a Ca(2+)-phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) complex in the phospholipid transmembrane redistribution triggered by cytosolic Ca2+ in erythrocytes. Indeed, the lipid scrambling was induced by extracellular Ca2+ in erythrocytes loaded with PIP2 and was abolished in inside-out vesicles prepared from PIP2-depleted erythrocytes (Sulpice, J.C., Zachowski, A., Devaux, P.F., & Giraud, F. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 6347-6354). Here, we show that Ca2+ triggers a partial redistribution of spin-labeled phospholipids in protein-free large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs), only when they contain PIP2. Spermine, a polyamine known to interact with PIP2 and reported to inhibit lipid scrambling in resealed ghosts, was found to inhibit also the Ca(2+)-induced scrambling in LUVs and in PIP2-loaded erythrocytes, presumably by interacting with PIP2 and preventing the formation of Ca(2+)-PIP2 complexes. A similar mechanism can account for spermine inhibition in natural membranes, confirming the role of PIP2 in the scrambling process without excluding the participation of proteins. In erythrocytes, activation of the phosphoinositide phospholipase C (PLC) or a 20 h ATP depletion, which both led to a reduction in the PIP2 content by 40-60%, did not affect Ca(2+)-induced phospholipid scrambling. In contrast, longer ATP depletion, resulting in a 80% reduction in the PIP2 content, did induce a significant decrease in lipid scrambling, suggesting that only the PIP2 pool resistant to the PLC was involved. Spermine was able to inhibit hydrolysis of this pool by an exogenous PLA2. It is thus likely that spermine antagonized the Ca(2+)-induced scrambling in resealed ghosts by interacting with the PLC-resistant pool of PIP2.

Diffusion of fluorescently labeled macromolecules in cultured muscle cells

Myotubes were obtained from culture of satellite cells. They had a sarcomeric organization similar to that of muscle. The diffusion in the direction perpendicular to the fibers of microinjected fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextrans of molecular weight ranging from 9500 to 150,000 was examined by modulated fringe pattern photobleaching. On the time scale of the observation, 10-30 S, all of the dextrans were completely mobile in the cytoplasm. The diffusion coefficients were compared to the values obtained in water. The ratio D(cytoplasm)/D(w) decreased with the hydrodynamic radius R(h) of the macromolecules. The mobility of inert molecules in muscle cells is hindered by both the crowding of the fluid phase of the cytoplasm and the screening effect due to myofilaments: D(cytoplasm)/D(w) = (D/D(w)) protein crowding x (D/D(w))(filament screening). The equation (D/D(w))filament screening = exp(-K(L)RCh) was used for the contribution of the filaments to the restriction of diffusion. A free protein concentration of 135 mg/ml, a solvent viscosity of cytoplasm near that of bulk water, and a calculated K(L) of 0.066 nm(-1), which takes into account the sarcomeric organization of filaments, accurately represent our data.

Shape change and physical properties of giant phospholipid vesicles prepared in the presence of an AC electric field

Giant unilamellar vesicles with diameters ranging from 10 to 60 microns were obtained by the swelling of phospholipid bilayers in water in the presence of an AC electric field. This technique leads to a homogeneous population of perfectly spherical and unilamellar vesicles, as revealed by phase-contrast optical microscopy and freeze-fracture electron microscopy. Freshly prepared vesicles had a high surface tension with no visible surface undulations. Undulations started spontaneously after several hours of incubation or were triggered by the application of a small osmotic pressure. Partially deflated giant vesicles could undergo further shape change if asymmetrical bilayers were formed by adding lyso compounds to the external leaflet or by imposing a transmembrane pH gradient that selectively accumulates on one leaflet phosphatidylglycerol. Fluorescence photobleaching with 7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl-labeled phospholipids or labeled dextran trapped within the vesicles enabled the measurement of the membrane continuity in the dumbbell-shaped vesicles. In all instances phospholipids diffused from one lobe to the other, but soluble dextran sometimes was unable to traverse the neck. This suggests that the diameter of the connecting neck may be variable.

Transbilayer movement of fluorescent and spin-labeled phospholipids in the plasma membrane of human fibroblasts: a quantitative approach

All phospholipids in the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells are subject to a slow passive transbilayer movement. In addition, aminophospholipids are recognized by the so-called aminophospholipid translocase, and are rapidly moved from the exoplasmic to the cytoplasmic leaflet of the plasma membrane at the expense of ATP hydrolysis. Though these principal pathways of transbilayer movement of phospholipids probably apply to all eukaryotic plasma membranes, studies of the actual kinetics of phospholipid redistribution have been largely confined to non-nucleated cells (erythrocytes). Experiments on nucleated cells are complicated by endocytosis and metabolism of the lipid probes inserted into the plasma membrane. Taking these complicating factors into account, we performed a detailed kinetic study of the transbilayer movement of short-chain fluorescent (N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl); NBD) and, for the first time, spin-labeled analogues of phosphatidylcholine (PC), -ethanolamine (PE), -serine (PS), and sphingomyelin (SM) in the plasma membrane of cultured human gingival fibroblasts. At 20 degrees C, the passive transbilayer diffusion of NBD analogues was very slow, and the choline-containing NBD analogues were internalized predominantly by endocytosis. Spin-labeled analogues of PC and SM showed higher passive transbilayer diffusion rates, and probably entered the cell by both passive transbilayer movement and endocytosis. In contrast, the rapid uptake of NBD- and spin-labeled aminophospholipid analogues could be mainly ascribed to the action of the aminophospholipid translocase, since it was inhibited by ATP depletion and N-ethylmaleimide pretreatment. The initial velocity of NBD-aminophospholipid translocation was eight to ten times slower than that of the corresponding spin-labeled lipid, and the half-times of redistribution of NBD-PS and spin-labeled PS were 7.2 and 3.6 minutes, respectively. Our data indicate that in human fibroblasts the initial velocity of aminophospholipid translocation is at least one order of magnitude higher than that in human erythrocytes, which should be sufficient to maintain the phospholipid asymmetry in the plasma membrane.

Reconstitution of ATP-dependent aminophospholipid translocation in proteoliposomes

In addition to ion-pumping ATPases, most plasma membranes of animal cells contain a Mg2+ ATPase activity, the function of which is unknown. This enzyme, of apparent molecular mass 110 kDa, was purified from human erythrocyte membranes by a series of column chromatographic procedures after solubilization in Triton X-100. When reincorporated into artificial bilayers formed from phosphatidylcholine, it was able to transport a spin-labeled phosphatidylserine analogue from the inner to the outer membrane leaflet provided Mg2+ ATP was present in the incubation mixture. The ATP-dependent transport of the phosphatidylethanolamine analogue required the presence of an anionic phospholipid (e.g., phosphatidylinositol) in the outer membrane leaflet. In contrast the transmembrane distribution of spin-labeled phosphatidylcholine was unaffected in the same experimental conditions. This transmembrane movement of aminophospholipid analogues was inhibited by treatment of the proteoliposomes with a sulfhydryl reagent. We conclude that the Mg2+ ATPase is sufficient for the biochemical expression of the aminophospholipid translocase activity, which is responsible for the inward transport of phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine within the erythrocyte membrane. The presence of this transport activity in many animal cell plasma membranes provides a function for the Mg2+ ATPase borne by these membranes.

Requirement for phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate in the Ca(2+)-induced phospholipid redistribution in the human erythrocyte membrane

In order to investigate how calcium on the cytosolic side of human erythrocytes induces the transmembrane redistribution of phospholipids, we studied the effect of this cation on the transmembrane movements of spin-labeled phospholipids (phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylcholine (PC)) incorporated into inside-out vesicles derived from human erythrocytes. We found that the extent of the Ca(2+)-induced lipid scrambling was dependent upon the level of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) contained in the external leaflet of inside-out vesicles. The level of PIP2 in this leaflet, which normally accounts for 80% of the total membrane PIP2, was manipulated either by ATP depletion of the original erythrocytes or by incorporation of exogenous PIP2. Similarly, loading the outer monolayer of the membrane of intact erythrocytes with exogenous PIP2 caused, in a dose-dependent way, the scrambling of spin-labeled phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingomyelin, PC, and PS and in parallel the stomatocytic conversion of the cells. Both scrambling and stomatocytosis were strictly dependent on the presence of divalent cations in the medium. Mg2+ could replace Ca2+ but required a 10 times higher concentration. The effect was specific for PIP2, the other phosphoinositides being unable to induce the lipid redistribution. The shape change, but not the scrambling, required a normal ATP level. These results show that Ca2+ or Mg2+ trigger the lipid redistribution either from the internal or the external side of the membrane, provided that enough PIP2 is present on that side. Thus, no specific protein is required for this process. We infer that the ATP-dependent shape change of erythrocytes after incubation with PIP2 and Ca2+ results from the bilayer imbalance due to the activity of the aminophospholipid translocase which relocates PS and phosphatidylethanolamine to the inner monolayer without simultaneous outward diffusion of PC and sphingomyelin.

Rapid determination of the transbilayer distribution of NBD-phospholipids in erythrocyte membranes with dithionite

The assessment of the transverse distribution and mobility of NBD-labelled phospholipid analogues in biological membranes by selective chemical destruction of fluorescent label in the outer monolayer with dithionite has been investigated using resealed erythrocyte ghosts as a model system. The distribution of those analogues can be determined in < 30 s directly in the cell suspension provided the permeation of dithionite across the membrane is suppressed. The results were compared with data on translocation of either NBD- or spin-labelled phospholipid analogues obtained with the technique of back exchange to BSA. It is shown that the passage of dithionite can be mediated by anion-transport systems such as band 3 which is inhibited by DIDS. Appropriate conditions for the applicability of the assay were elucidated also using resealed ghosts having fluorescent NBD-taurine in the intracellular lumen. The application of the assay to measure fast translocation processes, e.g. those mediated by the aminophospholipid translocase, is described.

Transmembrane distribution and translocation of spin-labeled plasmalogens in human red blood cells

We have synthesized two new spin-labeled alkenylacyl phospholipids (plasmalogens) in order to investigate the transmembrane distribution and transport of this subclass of glycerophospholipids in human red blood cells. The plasmenylethanolamine analogue diffuses rapidly from the outer to the inner leaflet with a half time at 37 degrees C of 30 min comparable to that of the corresponding diacyl-phosphatidylethanolamine spin-label in an ATP-requiring and N-ethyl maleimide sensitive manner. The plateau corresponds to 79% of the aminophospholipids on the inner leaflet. By contrast, after 4 h incubation less than 20% of the plasmenylcholine spin-labels reach the interior. Thus plasmalogens behave as the corresponding diacyl-lipids. We infer that plasmenylethanolamine is transported from the outer to the inner leaflet of the red cell membrane by the aminophospholipid translocase.

Transmembrane mobility and distribution of phospholipids in the membrane of mouse beta-thalassaemic red blood cells

Using spin-labelled lipid analogues, the transmembrane mobility and distribution of phospholipids in normal and beta-thalassaemic murine red blood cells were investigated. The velocities of spin-labelled phosphatidylserine (PS*) and spin-labelled phosphatidylethanolamine (PE*) active transport into the inner leaflet were not significantly different between normal and pathological cells. The stationary distribution of PE* in thalassaemic erythrocytes (79.5 +/- 2.0% inside) differed from that of control cells (91.1 +/- 1.6% inside), while that of PS* was unaffected. In thalassaemic cells the passive diffusion of spin-labelled phosphatidylcholine (PC*) was accelerated 4-fold and its stationary distribution was shifted to 34.5 +/- 2.3% inside compared to 19.5 +/- 1.6% in control cells. Spin-labelled sphingomyelin (SM*), which showed no inward movement in normal cells, diffused partially towards the inner leaflet of thalassaemic erythrocyte membranes. These results indicate that modifications of the transverse lipid organisation in beta-thalassaemic red blood cells are due to changes in passive diffusion movements, and not to changes in aminophospholipid translocase activity.

Transbilayer mobility and distribution of red cell phospholipids during storage

We studied phospholipid topology and transbilayer mobility in red cells during blood storage. The distribution of phospholipids was determined by measuring the reactivity of phosphatidylethanolamine with fluorescamine and the degradation of phospholipids by phospholipase A2 and sphingomyelinase C. Phospholipid mobility was measured by determining transbilayer movements of spin-labeled phospholipids. We were unable to detect a change in the distribution of endogenous membrane phospholipids in stored red cells even after 2-mo storage. The rate of inward movement of spin-labeled phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine was progressively reduced, whereas that for phosphatidylcholine was increased. These changes in phospholipid translocation correlated with a fall in cellular ATP. However, following restoration of ATP, neither the rate of aminophospholipid translocation nor the transbilayer movement of phosphatidylcholine were completely corrected. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that red cell storage alters the kinetics of transbilayer mobility of phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylcholine, the activity of the aminophospholipid translocase, but not the asymmetric distribution of endogenous membrane phospholipids, at least at a level detectable with phospholipases. Thus, if phosphatidylserine appearance on the outer monolayer is a signal for red cell elimination, the amount that triggers macrophage recognition is below the level of detection upon using the phospholipase technique.

Quantitative comparison between aminophospholipid translocase activity in human erythrocytes and in K562 cells

Spin-labeled phospholipids were used to determine the transbilayer movement of phospholipids in human erythrocytes, in K562 cells and in human neonatal red cells. The erythroleukemia cell line, K562, as well as human neonatal red cells, which are rich in reticulocytes, were considered as representative of human erythrocyte precursor cells. In the nucleated cells, the difference between outside-inside movement of aminophospholipids and that of phosphatidylcholine or sphingomyelin analogues allowed us to discriminate between lipid internalization due to aminophospholipid translocase activity and to endocytosis. From the initial rates of aminophospholipid inward movement, we inferred that the activity of the aminophospholipid translocase is higher in the precursor cells than in mature erythrocytes.

ATP-dependent aminophospholipid translocation in erythrocyte vesicles: stoichiometry of transport

Vesicles released from human red blood cells by incubation with a suspension of sonicated dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine were purified by gel filtration. Purified vesicles and intact red cells had a very similar composition with respect to phospholipids and integral membrane proteins, but spectrin, the major component of the membrane skeleton, was not found in vesicles. Comparison of red cell and vesicle ATP levels (expressed as micromolar ATP per millimolar hemoglobin) showed a marked difference with a reduced content of only about 30% in vesicles, whatever the initial concentration in the erythrocytes. Spin-labeled aminophospholipids (phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine) were translocated to the inner vesicle membrane layer at a comparable rate as in intact red cells provided that vesicles contained enough ATP. The maximum fraction of spin-labeled phospholipids translocated to the inner membrane layer was 84% for phosphatidylserine, 65% for phosphatidylethanolamine, 20-40% for phosphatidylcholine, and below 20% for sphingomyelin. The apparent Km of translocation, expressed as percent of total membrane phospholipid, was 0.14% for spin-labeled phosphatidylserine and 1.19% for spin-labeled phosphatidylethanolamine. This compares well to values established earlier for intact red blood cells. The fact that no ATP was synthesized in vesicles allowed determination of ATP consumption by aminophospholipid transport. The basic ATP hydrolysis rate was increased upon the addition of labeled aminophospholipids but not of labeled phosphatidylcholine or sphingomyelin. The stoichiometry between lipid translocation and ATP consumption, calculated from the respective initial velocities, was 1.13 +/- 0.2 for phosphatidylserine and 1.11 +/- 0.16 for phosphatidylethanolamine.

The distribution of erythrocyte phospholipids in hereditary spherocytosis demonstrates a minimal role for erythrocyte spectrin on phospholipid diffusion and asymmetry

In the human erythrocyte membrane phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin reside mainly in the outer leaflet, whereas the aminophospholipids, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine, are mainly found in the inner leaflet. Maintenance of phospholipid asymmetry has been assumed to involve interactions between the aminophospholipids and the membrane skeleton, in particular spectrin. To investigate whether spectrin contributes to maintaining the phospholipid transbilayer distribution and kinetics of redistribution, we studied erythrocytes from hereditary spherocytosis patients whose spectrin levels ranged from 34% to 82% of normal. The phospholipid composition and the accessibility of membrane phospholipids to hydrolysis by phospholipases were in the normal range. Spin-labeled phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine analogues that had been introduced into the outer leaflet were rapidly transported at 37 degrees C to the inner leaflet, whereas the redistribution of spin-labeled phosphatidylcholine was slower. The kinetics of transbilayer movement of these spin-labeled phospholipid in all samples was in the normal range and was not affected by the level of spectrin. Although these erythrocyte membranes contained as little as 34% of the normal level of spectrin and were characterized by several physical abnormalities, the composition, distribution, and transbilayer kinetics of the phospholipids were found to be normal. We therefore conclude that spectrin plays, at best, only a minor role in maintaining the distribution of erythrocyte membrane phospholipid.

Cubic phases of lipid-containing systems. A translational diffusion study by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching

The lateral diffusion coefficient of fluorescent lipid analogues incorporated in four cubic phases of lipid-water systems was determined by the modulated fringe pattern photobleaching technique. In two of the phases, Q230 and Q224, whose structure is bicontinuous, the diffusion is almost as fast as in the fluid lipid bilayers, and is essentially independent of the chemical nature of the probe. In the other two phases, whose structure consists of disjointed hydrocarbon micelles embedded in a water matrix (phase Q223, type I) and of water-containing micelles embedded in a hydrocarbon matrix (phase Q227, type II), the diffusion coefficient is strongly dependent on the chemical structure of the probe and on the topological type (I or II) of the structure. The conclusion is drawn that in the micellar phases the apparent diffusion mirrors the ability of the probe to hop from micelle to micelle.

Phospholipid transmembrane domains and lateral diffusion in fibroblasts

The lateral diffusion of fluorescent phospholipids in cultured Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts was examined by modulated fringe pattern photobleaching. When cells were labeled and maintained at 7 degrees C, the fluorescence remained localized at the plasma membrane. N-[6-(7-Nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl-amino)caproyl] sphingosylphosphocholine (C6-NBD-SphPCho) and 1-acyl-2-[6-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl-amino)caproyl] phosphatidylcholine (C6-NBD-PtdCho) both diffused with the same apparent lateral diffusion coefficient (D1 approximately 0.3 x 10(-9) cm2/s). By contrast, the phosphatidylserine derivative (1-acyl-2-[6-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl-amino)caproyl] phosphatidylserine (C6-NBD-Ptd-Ser)) gave rise to two diffusional components: a slow component, D1, analogous to that measured with the choline-containing lipids, and a fast component (D2 approximately 2 x 10(-9) cm2/s). The fast component only exists in ATP-containing cells. It was shown to be associated with C6-NBD-PtdSer translocated to the inner leaflet. This indicates that the two leaflets form very different membranous domains. At higher temperature, the same difference in mobility was observed between the choline-containing lipids and the aminolipid. However, with C6-NBD-SphPCho, a fraction of very slowly diffusing or quasi-immobilized probes gradually appeared with time. This could be attributed to sphingomyelin located in small organelles after internalization. From the amplitude of this component registered at different intervals, we calculated that approximately 50% of the plasma membrane sphingomyelin is recycled in less than 30 min in Chinese hamster fibroblasts by an ATP- and microtubule-dependent process.

Ca2+ induces transbilayer redistribution of all major phospholipids in human erythrocytes

Elevating cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels in erythrocytes activates a pathway for transbilayer diffusion of plasma membrane phospholipids. The use of spin-labeled and fluorescent phospholipid analogues revealed that the pathway permits diffusion of all the major classes of phospholipids and does not distinguish between the two types of probes. Diffusion was bidirectional, began immediately upon elevation of cytoplasmic [Ca2+] above 50-100 microM, persisted as long as the [Ca2+] remained elevated, and disappeared promptly when Ca2+ levels fell. Diffusion was unaffected by conditions which suppress shedding of vesicles, discounting this event as a requisite for phospholipid reorientation induced by Ca2+.

Protein involvement in transmembrane lipid asymmetry

Transmembrane asymmetry has been extensively studied in eukaryotic cells. It is as yet only clearly demonstrated in the plasma membrane of a few cells. Subcellular organelles have evidence of lipid asymmetry, but very little consistent quantitative data exist. Proteins involved in transmembrane passage of lipids comprise enzymes of lipid metabolism and also the so-called phospholipid flippases that are either passive or active putative lipid transporters. The aminophospholipid translocase that pumps amino-phospholipids from the outer to the inner monolayer of the plasma membrane of eukaryotes is a Mg(2+)-ATP dependent protein with a high lipid selectivity. Lipid asymmetry provides an asymmetrical environment for membrane enzymes. Thus, PS (and PE) reorientation could be a way of controlling or triggering specific enzymes. Also, the asymmetrical distribution of phospholipids most likely determines the fusion-competent membranes and/or which sides of membranes should fuse. Finally, the lipid pump as well as all enzymes responsible for the net transmembrane flux of phospholipids may provide the driving force for membrane bending, notably during the formation of endocytic vesicles. Clearly, real progress in this area will be made only if the proteins of the flippase family are purified and antibodies obtained that will permit the recognition and localization of these proteins in various cells. Also, specific inhibitors as well as mutants would allow one to infer more directly what are the real functions of these proteins. At a late stage, the protein purification will eventually permit speculation on the mechanism of action of a pump that must transport simultaneously hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups through a membrane.

Transmembrane redistribution of phospholipids of the human red cell membrane during hypotonic hemolysis

The transmembrane distribution of spin-labeled phospholipids was measured in human erythrocytes before and after hypotonic hemolysis by electron paramagnetic resonance. With a first series of partially water soluble probes a complete randomization of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine and sphingomyelin analogues was achieved when cells were resealed in the absence of Mg-ATP or when the aminophospholipid translocase was inhibited by vanadate or calcium. If the ghosts were resealed with Mg-ATP inside, the transmembrane asymmetry of the aminophospholipids was reestablished. With long chain insoluble spin-labeled lipids complete randomization was obtained with the phosphatidylcholine analogue but even in the presence of vanadate only a small percentage (approx. 15%) of the spin-labeled phosphatidylserine flopped to the outer monolayer and comparable percentage of the spin-labeled sphingomyelin flipped to the inner monolayer, indicating a hierarchy in the phospholipid redistribution for these water insoluble lipids during hemolysis. The mechanism by which a selective randomization takes place is not known. It may involve phosphatidylserine-protein interactions in the inner leaflet and sphingomyelin-cholesterol or sphingomyelin-sphingomyelin interaction in the outer leaflet.

Mechanisms of amphipath-induced stomatocytosis in human erythrocytes

We studied stomatocytosis induced in human red blood cells (RBC) by vinblastine and chlorpromazine, monitoring the movements of spin-labeled phosphatidylcholine (PC*) and sphingomyelin (SM*) by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. This technique allows determination of the fraction of labeled lipids, respectively, on the external leaflet, on the cytosol face, or trapped in endocytic vacuoles. Both vinblastine and chlorpromazine produce a time- and concentration-dependent stomatocytic shape change, which is paralleled by a shift of approximately 10% to 33% of outer leaflet SM* and PC* inward. Of this amount, 8% to 12% was trapped in endocytic vacuoles and 8% to 19% had flipped to the inner leaflet. Vanadate, while inhibiting the stomatocytosis, did not block the flip of either SM* or PC* to the inner leaflet. To explain the inhibiting effect of vanadate, as well as the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) requirement for drug-induced stomatocytosis, we propose the following model: (1) addition of amphipath partially scrambles the bilayer; and (2) the flop of phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) to the outer leaflet provides substrate for the aminophospholipid translocase (APLT), which flips back PS and PE inward faster than PC or SM can diffuse outward--thereby producing inner layer expansion or stomatocytosis. This role of APLT accounts for the vanadate inhibition of amphipath stomatocytosis. However, the vanadate effect can be overcome by increasing the amphipath concentration, which at such levels probably passively expands the inner leaflet.

Shape changes of giant liposomes induced by an asymmetric transmembrane distribution of phospholipids

The influence of a phospholipid transmembrane redistribution on the shape of nonspherical flaccid vesicles was investigated at a fixed temperature by optical microscopy. In a first series of experiments, a transmembrane pH gradient was imposed on egg phosphatidylcholine (EPC)-egg phosphatidylglycerol (EPG) (100:1) giant vesicles. The delta pH induced an asymmetric distribution of EPG. Simultaneously, discoid vesicles were transformed into tubular or a series of connected small vesicles. The fraction of phospholipid transfer necessary for a shape change from discoid to two connected vesicles was of the order of 0.1% of the total phospholipids. Additional lipid redistribution was accompanied by a sequence of shape changes. In a second series of experiments, lyso phosphatidylcholine (L-PC) was added to, or subtracted from, the external leaflet of giant EPC vesicles. The addition of L-PC induced a change from discoid to a two-vesicle state without further evolution, suggesting that lipid transfer and lipid addition are not equivalent. L-PC depletion from the outer leaflet generated stomatocyte-like vesicles. Whenever possible, we have determined whether the giant vesicles undergoing shape changes were unilamellar or multilamellar by measuring the elastic area compressibility modulus, K, by the micropipette assay (Kwok and Evans, 1981). Shape transformations triggered by phospholipid modification of the most external bilayer were indeed influenced by the presence of other underlying membranes that played a role comparable to that of a passive cytoskeleton layer. It appears that in real cells, invaginations of the plasma membrane or budding of organelles could be triggered by a phospholipid transfer from one leaflet to the other caused, for instance, by the aminophospholipid translocase which is present in eukaryotic membranes.

Transmembrane distribution of sterol in the human erythrocyte

The transbilayer cholesterol distribution of human erythrocytes was examined by two independent techniques, quenching of dehydroergosterol fluorescence and fluorescence photobleaching of NBD-cholesterol. Dehydroergosterol in conjunction with leaflet selective quenching showed that, at equilibrium, 75% of the sterol was localized to the inner leaflet of resealed erythrocyte ghosts. NBD-cholesterol and fluorescence photobleaching displayed two diffusion values in both resealed ghosts and intact erythrocytes. The fractional contribution of the fast and slow diffusion constants of NBD-labelled cholesterol represent its inner and outer leaflet distribution. At room temperature the plasma membrane inner leaflet of erythrocyte ghosts as well as intact erythrocytes cells contained 78% of the plasma membrane sterol. The erythrocyte membrane transbilayer distribution of sterol was independent of temperature. In conclusion, dehydroergosterol and NBD-cholesterol data are consistent with an enrichment of cholesterol in the inner leaflet of the human erythrocyte.

Use of spin-labeled and fluorescent lipids to study the activity of the phospholipid transfer protein from maize seedlings

The transfer of spin-labeled and fluorescent lipids between sonicated vesicles and different host membranes has been measured in the presence or absence of a phospholipid transfer protein purified from maize seedlings. It was found that the protein has little specificity towards the phospholipid head group and allows the transfer of hydrophobic long chain phospholipids. By contrast, no transfer of a cholesterol analogue could be detected. By EPR spectroscopy, evidence is presented that shows that the protein catalyzes the incorporation of labeled phospholipids in the outer monolayer of the acceptor membranes. The efficiency of the transfer depends largely on the nature of the acceptor: erythrocytes are more difficult to label than chromaffin granules or liposomes made with unsaturated lipids. Thus, consistent with the high activation energy observed, the transfer is facilitated when it involves fluid membranes. These results are in favor of a process involving the exchange of phospholipids, facilitated by a shuttle protein rather than a fusion mechanism.

Transmembrane mobility of phospholipids in sickle erythrocytes: effect of deoxygenation on diffusion and asymmetry

We studied the effect of sickling on the transmembrane reorientation and distribution of phospholipids in the red blood cells of patients homozygous for sickle cell anemia (SS). To this purpose, we followed the redistribution kinetics of trace amounts of spin-labeled analogues of natural phospholipids first introduced in the membrane outer leaflet of normal or sickle erythrocytes exposed to air or nitrogen. Deoxygenation had no effect on the lipid redistribution kinetics in normal (AA) cell membranes. At atmospheric pO2, unfractionated SS cells were not different from normal cells. However, on deoxygenation inducing sickling, phosphatidylcholine passive diffusion was accelerated and the rate of the adenosine triphosphate-dependent transport of aminophospholipids was reduced, especially for phosphatidylserine. The stationary distribution of the aminophospholipids between the two leaflets was slightly less asymmetric, a phenomenon more pronounced with phosphatidylethanolamine. These changes were rapidly reversible on reoxygenation. When SS cells were separated by density, both dense and light cells exhibited the properties cited above. However, dense cells exposed to air possessed a lower aminophospholipid transport rate. These data favor the relationship between aminophospholipid translocase activity and phospholipid transmembrane asymmetry. Sickle cell disease is the first case of aminophospholipid translocase pathology.

Transmembrane diffusion of fluorescent phospholipids in human erythrocytes

The outside-inside passage and transmembrane equilibrium distribution of several amphiphilic fluorescent phospholipids were examined in human erythrocytes. The results were compared with previous kinetic data obtained with spin-labeled phospholipids and with the equilibrium distribution of endogenous lipids in erythrocytes. When a nitro benzoxadiazole (NBD) was at the terminal position of a 6 carbon beta-chain, the outside-inside diffusion of the fluorescent phosphatidylserine (PS) analogue was slower, and the plateau lower than with long chain radioactive PS or spin-labeled PS. The corresponding phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) did not flip nor did the phosphatidylcholine (PC) analogue. With a NBD at the 12th carbon of a 18C alpha-chain, the amino-derivatives behaved more like endogenous PS and PE, i.e. they accumulated rapidly on the inner monolayer; however, the phosphatidylcholine analogue reached a plateau corresponding to 50% inside within 2 h at 37 degrees C, indicative of an abnormal rapid diffusion. In the latter case, changing the beta-chain from four to eight carbons had no influence on this rapid diffusion. We conclude that when the NBD is close to the glycerol moiety, it diminishes the affinity of the aminophospholipids for the aminophospholipid translocase. When it is close to the methyl terminal of an acyl chain, there is an acceleration of the spontaneous flip-flop. Presumably the polarity of the NBD is responsible for an unconventional orientation of the flexible acyl chain, thereby causing the transmembrane destabilization of the phospholipid. Overall these results illustrate the respective roles of spontaneous diffusion and translocase activity on transmembrane equilibrium distribution of phospholipids. They also show that NBD derivatives should be used cautiously as indicators of endogenous phospholipids.

Biomembrane elastic response to intercalation of amphiphiles

A model of the elastic behavior of a biomembrane in response to intercalation of amphiphiles into the bilayer is developed. This model takes into account the bilayer couple hypothesis (Sheetz and Singer 1974), and assumes that incorporation of amphiphiles into one layer of the membrane exerts mechanical work on the elastic biomembrane. The model accounts for an apparent experimental discordance noted by several authors: the variation in area observed upon incorporating amphiphiles is smaller by a factor of about 2 than the variation expected using previous models.