Characterization of the Effect of Sphingolipid Accumulation on Membrane Compactness, Dipole Potential, and Mobility of Membrane Components
Gyula Batta1,2, Tímea Hajdu1,3, Peter Nagy4
1Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
Abstract:
Communication between cells and their environment is carried out through the plasma membrane including the action of most pharmaceutical drugs. Although such a communication typically involves specific binding of a messenger to a membrane receptor, the biophysical state of the lipid bilayer strongly influences the outcome of this interaction. Sphingolipids constitute an important part of the lipid membrane, and their mole fraction modifies the biophysical characteristics of the membrane. Here, we describe methods that can be used for measuring how sphingolipid accumulation alters the compactness, microviscosity, and dipole potential of the lipid bilayer and the mobility of membrane components.
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