Study of the interaction between graphene oxide and cholesterol using different artificial membrane models.
Stefano Di Giacomo1, Samanta Moffa1, Serena Pilato2
1Department of Pharmacy, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
|February 18, 2026
Summary
Graphene oxide (GO) remodels artificial cell membranes by altering lipid interactions, increasing fluidity, and promoting cholesterol exposure. This nanomaterial offers new possibilities for applications in reproductive biology and assisted fertilization.
Area of Science:
- Nanomedicine
- Biophysics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Graphene oxide (GO), a derivative of graphene, is recognized for its potential in nanomedicine.
- Its amphiphilic nature and functional groups facilitate interactions with lipid membranes, influencing fluidity, permeability, and integrity.
- Cholesterol and phospholipids are key regulators of membrane properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of graphene oxide (GO) on artificial membrane models.
- To elucidate the mechanisms underlying GO-lipid interactions and their impact on membrane properties.
- To compare GO's effects with a known cholesterol extractor, methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD).
Main Methods:
- Utilized liposomes and droplet interface bilayers (DIBs) composed of cholesterol and 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC).
- Employed a multidisciplinary approach including fluorescence leakage assays, differential scanning calorimetry, NMR, Raman, and fluorescence spectroscopy, and water permeability studies.
- Quantified lipid ratios and assessed cholesterol exposure using Filipin III staining.
Main Results:
- GO altered bilayer organization by weakening lipid-lipid interactions and reducing phase transition cooperativity.
- Increased bilayer fluidity and permeability were observed, along with a significant reduction in the DOPC:Chol ratio, indicating cholesterol redistribution.
- GO promoted cholesterol exposure on the outer leaflet and enhanced water penetration, showing remodeling rather than disruption of membranes.
- GO induced more significant changes than MβCD, affecting cholesterol exposure, phospholipid order, and water permeability.
Conclusions:
- Graphene oxide (GO) effectively modulates artificial membrane properties, including fluidity, permeability, and lipid organization.
- GO's interaction with lipid bilayers leads to cholesterol redistribution and enhanced water transport without complete membrane destruction.
- These findings highlight GO's potential as a nanomaterial for controlled membrane modulation, with implications for reproductive biology and assisted fertilization.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Membrane Fluidity
176.6K
Cell membranes are composed of phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates loosely attached to one another through chemical interactions. Molecules are generally able to move about in the plane of the membrane, giving the membrane its flexible nature called fluidity. Two other features of the membrane contribute to membrane fluidity: the chemical structure of the phospholipids and the presence of cholesterol in the membrane.
176.6K
01:26Membrane Fluidity
16.8K
Membrane fluidity is explained by the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane, which describes the plasma membrane structure as a mosaic of components—including phospholipids, cholesterol, proteins, and carbohydrates—that gives the membrane a fluid character.
Mosaic nature of the membrane
The mosaic characteristic of the membrane helps the plasma membrane remain fluid. The integral proteins and lipids exist as separate but loosely-attached molecules in the membrane. The membrane is...
Mosaic nature of the membrane
The mosaic characteristic of the membrane helps the plasma membrane remain fluid. The integral proteins and lipids exist as separate but loosely-attached molecules in the membrane. The membrane is...
16.8K
01:35Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer
10.2K
Biological membranes show uneven distribution of different types of lipids in the inner and outer layers, resulting in transverse asymmetric membranes. The treatment of the erythrocyte membrane with the enzyme phospholipase confirmed the asymmetric nature of the lipid bilayer. The enzyme hydrolyzes lipids into fatty acids and hydrophilic groups. The phospholipase acts only on the outer layer of the membrane, while the inner layer remains intact. The phospholipase treatment resulted in 80%...
10.2K
00:59Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation
4.1K
Different physical properties of lipids and proteins allow them to localize and form distinct islands or domains in the membrane. Some membrane domains are formed due to protein-protein interactions, whereas others are formed due to the presence of specific lipids such as sphingolipids and sterols—for example, large proteins, such as bacteriorhodopsin, aggregate and create distinct domains.
Another mechanism for membrane domain formation involves membrane proteins interacting with...
Another mechanism for membrane domain formation involves membrane proteins interacting with...
4.1K
01:19Fluid Mosaic Model
18.2K
Scientists identified the plasma membrane in the 1890s and its principal chemical components (lipids and proteins) by 1915. The model for plasma membrane structure, proposed in 1935 by Hugh Davson and James Danielli, was the first model to be widely accepted in the scientific community. The model was based on the plasma membrane's "railroad track" appearance in early electron micrographs. Davson and Danielli theorized that the plasma membrane's structure resembled a sandwich...
18.2K