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Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging and Force Spectroscopy of Supported Lipid Bilayers
Published on: July 22, 2015
Phosphatidylserine/Cholesterol Bilayers Supported on a Polycation/Alkylthiol Layer Pair
1Center on Polymer Interfaces and Macromolecular Assemblies (CPIMA), Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California at Davis, Davis, California, 95616
Supported lipid bilayers of 1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl phosphatidylserine (SOPS) and cholesterol were found to be mobile at room temperature. These bilayers, studied using surface plasmon resonance (SPR), showed lateral diffusion coefficients around 1x10(-9) cm(2)/s.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Materials Science
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Supported lipid bilayers are crucial for understanding cell membrane properties.
- Investigating the influence of cholesterol on lipid bilayer dynamics is essential.
- Developing stable model membrane systems on solid supports is a key challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the structure and dynamics of 1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl phosphatidylserine (SOPS)/cholesterol bilayers.
- To evaluate the mobility and lateral diffusion of lipid bilayers supported on a polycation/alkylthiol substrate.
- To investigate the interaction kinetics of gramicidin with these supported lipid bilayers.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a gold surface substrate with a poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA)/11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) layer pair.
- Deposition of SOPS/cholesterol lipid membranes via vesicle fusion.
- Utilized surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) for analysis.
Main Results:
- Stable, single SOPS/cholesterol bilayers were formed when cholesterol content was below 20%.
- FRAP experiments demonstrated bilayer mobility at room temperature with diffusion coefficients of ~1x10(-9) cm(2)/s.
- SPR successfully monitored the kinetics of gramicidin incorporation into the supported bilayers.
Conclusions:
- The PDDA/MUA substrate effectively supports mobile SOPS/cholesterol lipid bilayers.
- Cholesterol content influences bilayer formation and stability.
- The combined SPR and FRAP approach provides a powerful tool for studying peptide-lipid interactions in supported membranes.
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