Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 18, 2026
Imaging of HIV-1 Envelope-induced Virological Synapse and Signaling on Synthetic Lipid Bilayers
Published on: March 8, 2012
Dendrimers complexed with HIV-1 peptides interact with liposomes and lipid monolayers
Maksim Ionov1, Karol Ciepluch1, Zuzana Garaiova2
1Department of General Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 141/143, 90-236 Lodz, Poland.
Aims:
We have investigated the effect of surface charge of model lipid membranes on their interactions with dendriplexes formed by HIV-derived peptides and 2 types of positively charged carbosilane dendrimers (CBD).
Methods:
Interaction of dendriplexes with lipid membranes was measured by fluorescence anisotropy, dynamic light scattering and Langmuir-Blodgett techniques. The morphology of the complexes was examined by transmission electron microscopy.
Results:
All dendriplexes independent of the type of peptide interacted with model lipid membranes. Negatively charged vesicles composed of a mixture of DMPC/DPPG interacted more strongly, and it was accompanied by an increase in anisotropy of the fluorescent probe localized in polar domain of lipid bilayers. There was also an increase in surface pressure of the lipid monolayers. Mixing negatively charged liposomes with dendriplexes increased liposome size and made their surface charges more positive.
Conclusions:
HIV-peptide/dendrimer complexes interact with model lipid membranes depending on their surface charge. Carbosilane dendrimers can be useful as non-viral carriers for delivering HIV-peptides into cells.
