Mixtures of supported and hybrid lipid membranes on heterogeneously modified silica nanoparticles

Simple supported lipid bilayers do not accurately reflect the complex heterogeneity of cellular membranes; however, surface modification makes it possible to tune membrane properties to better mimic biological systems. Here, 3-[2-(2-aminoethylamino)ethylamino]propyl-trimethoxysilane (DETAS), a silica modifier, facilitated formation of supported lipid bilayers on silica nanoparticles. Evidence for a stable supported bilayer came from the successful entrapment of a soluble fluorophore within an interstitial water layer. A fluorescence-quenching assay that utilized a pore-forming peptide was used to demonstrate the existence of two separate lipid leaflets. In this assay, fluorescence was quenched by dithionite in roughly equal proportions prior to and after addition of melittin. When a hydrophobic modifier, octadecyltriethoxysilane, was codeposited on the nanoparticles with DETAS, there was a decrease in the amount of supported bilayer on the nanoparticles and an increase in the quantity of hybrid membrane. This allowed for a controlled mixture of two distinct types of membranes on a single substrate, one separated by a water cushion and the other anchored directly on the surface, thereby providing a new mimic of cellular membranes.