Adhesion between giant vesicles and supported bilayers decorated with chelated E-cadherin fragments

Here, we present a study of adhesion between cadherin fragments using giant unilamellar vesicles and supported bilayers. These objects are partially made of nickel chelating lipids and are subsequently decorated with proteins bearing a 6His tag. Initially, we observed their fixation and correct orientation by using a fluorescent protein, the green fluorescent protein (GFP)-6His. The adhesive behavior of E-cadherin functionalized giant vesicles and supported bilayers was studied as a function of the calcium concentration and of the protein functionality by reflection interference microscopy. We show that such a system retains specific cadherin-mediated adhesion and could be used to study the statics and dynamics of adhesive plaques as well as to gain insight into the fundamental mechanisms of cellular adhesion at the mesoscopic scale.