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Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Ligand Nano-cluster Arrays in a Supported Lipid Bilayer
Published on: April 23, 2017
The effect of receptor clustering on vesicle-vesicle adhesion
Robert J Mart1, Kwan Ping Liem, Xi Wang
1Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre and the School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, 131 Princess St, Manchester M1 7DN, UK.
Abstract:
As part of our studies into how the localization of cell adhesion molecules into lipid rafts may affect cell adhesion, we developed Cu(1), a synthetic copper(iminodiacetate)-capped receptor able to phase separate from fluid phospholipid bilayers. The extent to which Cu(1) clustered into adhesive patches on the surface of vesicles could be controlled by changing vesicle composition. Extensive receptor phase separation significantly enhanced vesicle-vesicle adhesion; only vesicles with adhesive patches (blue fluorescence) adhered to their conjugate histidine-coated vesicles (red fluorescence) to form large vesicle aggregates (shown).
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