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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Fluorescence Recovery after Merging a Droplet to Measure the Two-dimensional Diffusion of a Phospholipid Monolayer
Published on: October 15, 2015
c-Fos is surface active and interacts differentially with phospholipid monolayers
G A Borioli1, B L Caputto, B Maggio
1Dpto. Química Biológica, CIQUIBIC, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón Argentina, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina.
Abstract:
The transcription factor c-Fos forms stable Gibbs and Langmuir monolayers at the air-buffer interface. Its marked surface activity is enhanced by penetration into phospholipid films above the protein's own maximum adsorption surface pressure to a lipid-free interface. The protein-phospholipid stabilizing interactions at the interface depend on the lipid polar head group and the increases of lateral surface pressure generated are comparable to those of membrane-active proteins. The surface activity of c-Fos is strong enough to thermodynamically drive and retain c-Fos at the membrane interface where it may exert direct or indirect effects.
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