Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

New method for determining tie-lines in coexisting membrane phases using spin-label ESR.

Yun-Wei Chiang1, Jiang Zhao, Jing Wu

  • 1Baker Laboratory of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, and National Biomedical ACERT Center for Advanced ESR Technology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-1301, USA.

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|January 27, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Detergent-like Toxicity Mechanism of Amyloid Cylindrins Revealed by Cross-Link Spin Labeling Electron Spin Resonance.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Correction to "Detection of Mutation-Induced Conformational Changes in an Intrinsically Disordered Protein by Double Quantum Coherence Electron Spin Resonance Methodology".

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Detection of Mutation-Induced Conformational Changes in an Intrinsically Disordered Protein by Double Quantum Coherence Electron Spin Resonance Methodology.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Sulfur-containing class of broad-spectrum antivirals improves influenza virus vaccine development.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Plasma membrane asymmetry and lipid homeostasis: general discussion.

Faraday discussions·2025
Same author

Structure and dynamics of asymmetric membranes: general discussion.

Faraday discussions·2025

This study introduces a new Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectroscopy method to determine tie-lines, revealing lipid compositions in coexisting membrane phases. This advances understanding of membrane rafts and lipid phase behavior.

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Membrane Biophysics
  • Spectroscopy

Background:

  • Understanding lipid phase coexistence is crucial for membrane biology, particularly for cholesterol-containing mixtures relevant to "membrane rafts".
  • Current methods like fluorescence microscopy visualize coexisting lipid phases but lack detailed composition information.
  • Thermodynamic tie-lines are essential for describing the compositions of coexisting phases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a novel Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectroscopy method for determining tie-lines in ternary lipid mixtures.
  • To provide missing composition information for coexisting lipid phases, crucial for understanding membrane raft formation.
  • To characterize the tie-lines in the liquid-disordered and gel phases of a dipalmitoyl-PC/dilauroyl-PC/cholesterol (DPPC/DLPC/Chol) mixture.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Methods:

  • Utilized ESR spectroscopy with a spin-labeled phospholipid (16-PC) in over 100 different lipid compositions near the two-phase coexistence region.
  • Applied the lever rule, stating that ESR spectra along a tie-line are superpositions of spectra from phase boundary compositions.
  • Determined the constant partition coefficient (K(p)) for the spin-label along each tie-line.

Main Results:

  • Successfully determined five tie-lines across the coexistence region of DPPC/DLPC/Chol lipid mixtures.
  • Demonstrated that the partition coefficient (K(p)) for 16-PC is approximately unity but varies with the specific tie-line.
  • Characterized equilibrium coexisting phases by the spin-label's K(p) and dynamic parameters derived from ESR spectral fitting.

Conclusions:

  • The proposed ESR spectroscopy method effectively determines tie-lines and provides essential composition data for coexisting lipid phases.
  • This technique offers a valuable tool for investigating lipid mixtures, including those relevant to membrane raft studies.
  • The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of lipid phase behavior and equilibrium in complex membrane systems.