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Updated: Jan 19, 2026
Methods for the Self-integration of Megamolecular Biopolymers on the Drying Air-LC Interface
Published on: April 7, 2017
Thermodynamic and Structural Behavior of α-Galactosylceramide and C6-Functionalized α-GalCer in 2D Layers at the
Gerald Brezesinski1, Adam D J Calow1, Claney L Pereira1
1Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Biomolecular Systems Department, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.
Abstract:
α-Galactosylceramide (α-GalCer; KRN7000) is a ligand for the glycoprotein CD1d that presents lipid antigens to natural killer T cells. Therefore, KRN7000 as well as some modified versions thereof have been widely investigated as part of novel immunotherapies. To examine the impact of structural modification, we investigated KRN7000 and C6-modified KRN7000 at the air-liquid interface using monolayer isotherms, BAM, IRRAS, GIXD, and TRXF. The amino group has no influence on the highly ordered sub-gel structures found at lateral pressures relevant for biological membranes. Neither lateral compression nor the protonation state of the amino group has a measurable effect on the lattice structure, which is defined by strong and rigid intermolecular hydrogen bonds. However, the first-order phase transition found for the C6-functionalized α-GalCer is connected with an extraordinary surface-inhibited nucleation. Our study demonstrates that KRN7000 can be functionalized at C6 without significantly changing the structural properties.
