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Multiplexed Lipid Bilayers on Silica Microspheres for Analytical Screening Applications
Nadiezda Fernandez Oropeza1, Nesia A Zurek1, Mirella Galvan-De La Cruz1
1Center for Biomedical Engineering, and ‡Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States.
Analytical Chemistry
|May 31, 2017
Summary
Researchers developed new biomimetic membrane assays for drug discovery. These assays mimic natural cell membranes, enabling more accurate screening of membrane-bound drug targets and improving high-throughput analysis.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Biophysics
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Most drug targets are membrane components, but current assays often fail to replicate the natural lipid membrane environment.
- This omission can alter target structure, leading to inaccurate screening results.
- Developing assays that mimic the native membrane is crucial for reliable drug discovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an ideal target-based analytical assay for membrane components.
- To create a high-throughput, multiplexed assay that mimics the natural membrane environment.
- To enable more accurate drug screening and interaction analysis involving membrane targets.
Main Methods:
- Developed fluorescently indexed multiplexed biomimetic membrane assays using phospholipid bilayers on silica microspheres.
- Incorporated fluorescently labeled lipids (NBD-DOPE) to create distinct membrane environments.
- Utilized flow cytometry for high-throughput detection and analysis.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated the multiplexed assay's ability to measure specific protein-membrane interactions using well-characterized systems (cholera toxin B subunit and streptavidin).
- Showcased the assay's sensitivity to varying ligand target concentrations within the biomimetic membranes.
- Validated the use of fluorescently labeled lipids for multiplexing and detection.
Conclusions:
- Presented a novel fluorescently multiplexed biomimetic membrane assay suitable for high-throughput flow cytometry.
- This assay effectively mimics the natural membrane environment for studying membrane component interactions.
- The developed assay platform facilitates future drug screening and interaction analysis involving membrane targets.
