scholarly journals Melittin Induces Local Order Changes in Artificial and Biological Membranes as Revealed by Spectral Analysis of Laurdan Fluorescence

Toxins ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 705
Author(s):  
Bogdan Zorilă ◽  
George Necula ◽  
Mihai Radu ◽  
Mihaela Bacalum
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Membranes ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Local Order ◽  
Generalized Polarization ◽  
Membrane Probe ◽  
Area Per Lipid ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Log Normal ◽  
Laurdan Fluorescence ◽  
Natural Lipid

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a class of molecules widely used in applications on eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Independent of the peptide target, all of them need to first pass or interact with the plasma membrane of the cells. In order to have a better image of the peptide action mechanism with respect to the particular features of the membrane it is necessary to better understand the changes induced by AMPs in the membranes. Laurdan, a lipid membrane probe sensitive to polarity changes in the environment, is used in this study for assessing changes induced by melittin, a well-known peptide, both in model and natural lipid membranes. More importantly, we showed that generalized polarization (GP) values are not always efficient or sufficient to properly characterize the changes in the membrane. We proved that a better method to investigate these changes is to use the previously described log-normal deconvolution allowing us to infer other parameters: the difference between the relative areas of elementary peak (ΔSr), and the ratio of elementary peaks areas (Rs). Melittin induced a slight decrease in local membrane fluidity in homogeneous lipid membranes. The addition of cholesterol stabilizes the membrane more in the presence of melittin. An opposite response was observed in the case of heterogeneous lipid membranes in cells, the local order of lipids being diminished. RS proved to be the most sensitive parameter characterizing the local membrane order, allowing us to distinguish among the responses to melittin of both classes of membrane we investigated (liposomes and cellular membranes). Molecular simulation of the melittin pore in homogeneous lipid bilayer suggests that lipids are more closely packed in the proximity of the melittin pore (a smaller area per lipid), supporting the experimental observation.

scholarly journals The Nature of the Negative Resistance in Bimolecular Lipid Membranes Containing Excitability-Inducing Material

1970 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald Ehrenstein ◽  
Harold Lecar ◽  
Ralph Nossal
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Potential ◽  
Lipid Membranes ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Negative Resistance ◽  
Voltage Dependent ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Ion Conducting ◽  
Opening And Closing

When sufficiently small amounts of excitability-inducing material (EIM) are added to a bimolecular lipid membrane, the conductance is limited to a few discrete levels and changes abruptly from one level to another. From our study of these fluctuations, we have concluded that the EIM-doped bilayer contains ion-conducting channels capable of undergoing transitions between two states of different conductance. The difference in current between the "open" and "closed" states is directly proportional to the applied membrane potential, and corresponds to a conductance of about 3 x 10-10 ohm-1. The fraction of the total number of channels that is open varies from unity to zero as a function of potential. The voltage-dependent opening and closing of channels explains the negative resistance observed for bimolecular lipid membranes treated with greater amounts of EIM.

scholarly journals QCM SENSOR SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF SILVER ELECTRODES COATED WITH LIPID MEMBRANE OLEYL ALCOHOL TOWARD NaCl AND HCl

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Auliya Rahmatul Ummah ◽  
Imam Tazi ◽  
Muthmainnah Muthmainnah
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Membranes ◽  
Oleyl Alcohol ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Electronic Tongue ◽  
Test Substance ◽  
Frequency Change ◽  
Sensor Sensitivity ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Silver Electrodes ◽  
The Difference

<p>One of the sensors, which is currently being developed is the QCM sensor. The QCM sensor is a sensor that utilizes the frequency change to detect a change in mass due to a test substance. The use of a QCM sensor includes other forms of electronic tongue sensor that can distinguish five basic flavours on the tongue. QCM sensor can also be varied electrodes using various lipid membranes such as electronic tongues to increase sensor sensitivity. This research aims to determine the sensitivity of the QCM sensor before and after coated with the lipid membrane to NaCl and HCl. The sensitivity of the QCM sensor to NaCl is 1.47 Hz/M for uncoated sensor and 0.63 Hz/M for coated sensor, while the sensitivity of HCl is 4.55 Hz/M for uncoated sensor and 4.93 Hz/M for coated sensor. The difference of the results is caused by the nature of ionization of the compound and the amount of concentration used. The result of the sensitivity research shows that the QCM sensor with Oleyl Alcohol lipid membrane is more sensitive to HCl than NaCl.</p>

scholarly journals Electrochemical Properties of Lipid Membranes Self-Assembled from Bicelles

Membranes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Damian Dziubak ◽  
Kamil Strzelak ◽  
Slawomir Sek
Keyword(s):  
Electrochemical Properties ◽  
Self Assembly ◽  
Lipid Membranes ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Membrane Resistance ◽  
Electrochemical Characteristics ◽  
Freeze Thaw ◽  
Lipid Films ◽  
Supported Lipid Membranes

Supported lipid membranes are widely used platforms which serve as simplified models of cell membranes. Among numerous methods used for preparation of planar lipid films, self-assembly of bicelles appears to be promising strategy. Therefore, in this paper we have examined the mechanism of formation and the electrochemical properties of lipid films deposited onto thioglucose-modified gold electrodes from bicellar mixtures. It was found that adsorption of the bicelles occurs by replacement of interfacial water and it leads to formation of a double bilayer structure on the electrode surface. The resulting lipid assembly contains numerous defects and pinholes which affect the permeability of the membrane for ions and water. Significant improvement in morphology and electrochemical characteristics is achieved upon freeze–thaw treatment of the deposited membrane. The lipid assembly is rearranged to single bilayer configuration with locally occurring patches of the second bilayer, and the number of pinholes is substantially decreased. Electrochemical characterization of the lipid membrane after freeze–thaw treatment demonstrated that its permeability for ions and water is significantly reduced, which was manifested by the relatively high value of the membrane resistance.

scholarly journals Interactions of Linear Analogues of Battacin with Negatively Charged Lipid Membranes

Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 192
Author(s):  
Kinga Burdach ◽  
Dagmara Tymecka ◽  
Aneta Urban ◽  
Robert Lasek ◽  
Dariusz Bartosik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Membranes ◽  
Liquid Crystalline ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Attenuated Total Reflection ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Insertion Depth ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Acyl Chains ◽  
Hydrophobic Portion ◽  
Membrane Fluidization

The increasing resistance of bacteria to available antibiotics has stimulated the search for new antimicrobial compounds with less specific mechanisms of action. These include the ability to disrupt the structure of the cell membrane, which in turn leads to its damage. In this context, amphiphilic lipopeptides belong to the class of the compounds which may fulfill this requirement. In this paper, we describe two linear analogues of battacin with modified acyl chains to tune the balance between the hydrophilic and hydrophobic portion of lipopeptides. We demonstrate that both compounds display antimicrobial activity with the lowest values of minimum inhibitory concentrations found for Gram-positive pathogens. Therefore, their mechanism of action was evaluated on a molecular level using model lipid films mimicking the membrane of Gram-positive bacteria. The surface pressure measurements revealed that both lipopeptides show ability to bind and incorporate into the lipid monolayers, resulting in decreased ordering of lipids and membrane fluidization. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging demonstrated that the exposure of the model bilayers to lipopeptides leads to a transition from the ordered gel phase to disordered liquid crystalline phase. This observation was confirmed by attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) results, which revealed that lipopeptide action causes a substantial increase in the average tilt angle of lipid acyl chains with respect to the surface normal to compensate for lipopeptide insertion into the membrane. Moreover, the peptide moieties in both molecules do not adopt any well-defined secondary structure upon binding with the lipid membrane. It was also observed that a small difference in the structure of a lipophilic chain, altering the balance between hydrophobic and hydrophilic portion of the molecules, results in different insertion depth of the active compounds.

Capillary network structure does not affect theoretical analysis of glomerular size selectivity

1995 ◽  
Vol 268 (5) ◽  
pp. F972-F979
Author(s):  
A. Remuzzi ◽  
B. Ene-Iordache
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Homogeneous Model ◽  
Wistar Rat ◽  
Size Selectivity ◽  
Membrane Pore ◽  
Heterogeneous Model ◽  
Glomerular Size ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Membrane Pore Size ◽  
Log Normal

Anatomical studies have demonstrated that the glomerular capillaries are complex and heterogeneous networks. Conventional models of glomerular size selectivity, however, are based on the assumption of simplified geometries. We developed a theoretical model of glomerular size-selective function based on the geometric data obtained in a previous reconstruction of a glomerular network from a normal Munich-Wistar rat. This heterogeneous model was compared with the homogeneous model conventionally used to calculate membrane selective parameters from the fractional clearance of two test solutes, neutral dextran and Ficoll. For both models we assumed a hypothetical log-normal distribution of pore sizes and calculated optimal membrane pore-size parameters using previously published values of fractional clearances. The difference between the sieving coefficients calculated with the two models was negligible, never exceeding 5.5%. Since the homogeneous model does not consider the pressure drop along the glomerular capillary, we also computed fractional clearances with the homogeneous model, assuming the same pressure drop as in the heterogeneous one. The differences in computed fractional clearances using the homogeneous model with and without a pressure drop were less than 1.2%. We concluded that models based on identical capillary networks can therefore be used for interpreting sieving coefficients for macromolecules.

scholarly journals The Structural Integrity of the Model Lipid Membrane during Induced Lipid Peroxidation: The Role of Flavonols in the Inhibition of Lipid Peroxidation

Antioxidants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja Sadžak ◽  
Janez Mravljak ◽  
Nadica Maltar-Strmečki ◽  
Zoran Arsov ◽  
Goran Baranović ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Peroxidation ◽  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Lipid Membranes ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Membrane Properties ◽  
Structural Reorganization ◽  
Unsaturated Lipids ◽  
Oxidative Attack

The structural integrity, elasticity, and fluidity of lipid membranes are critical for cellular activities such as communication between cells, exocytosis, and endocytosis. Unsaturated lipids, the main components of biological membranes, are particularly susceptible to the oxidative attack of reactive oxygen species. The peroxidation of unsaturated lipids, in our case 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC), induces the structural reorganization of the membrane. We have employed a multi-technique approach to analyze typical properties of lipid bilayers, i.e., roughness, thickness, elasticity, and fluidity. We compared the alteration of the membrane properties upon initiated lipid peroxidation and examined the ability of flavonols, namely quercetin (QUE), myricetin (MCE), and myricitrin (MCI) at different molar fractions, to inhibit this change. Using Mass Spectrometry (MS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), we identified various carbonyl products and examined the extent of the reaction. From Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Force Spectroscopy (FS), Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS), and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) experiments, we concluded that the membranes with inserted flavonols exhibit resistance against the structural changes induced by the oxidative attack, which is a finding with multiple biological implications. Our approach reveals the interplay between the flavonol molecular structure and the crucial membrane properties under oxidative attack and provides insight into the pathophysiology of cellular oxidative injury.

scholarly journals The interplay between lipids and dopamine on α-synuclein oligomerization and membrane binding

2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi L. L. Pham ◽  
Roberto Cappai
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Membranes ◽  
Amyloid Fibrils ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Hydrophobic Interactions ◽  
Membrane Integrity ◽  
Lipid Vesicles ◽  
Helical Conformation ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Natively Unfolded Protein ◽  
Natively Unfolded

The deposition of α-syn (α-synuclein) as amyloid fibrils and the selective loss of DA (dopamine) containing neurons in the substantia nigra are two key features of PD (Parkinson's disease). α-syn is a natively unfolded protein and adopts an α-helical conformation upon binding to lipid membrane. Oligomeric species of α-syn have been proposed to be the pathogenic species associated with PD because they can bind lipid membranes and disrupt membrane integrity. DA is readily oxidized to generate reactive intermediates and ROS (reactive oxygen species) and in the presence of DA, α-syn form of SDS-resistant soluble oligomers. It is postulated that the formation of the α-syn:DA oligomers involves the cross-linking of DA-melanin with α-syn, via covalent linkage, hydrogen and hydrophobic interactions. We investigate the effect of lipids on DA-induced α-syn oligomerization and studied the ability of α-syn:DA oligomers to interact with lipids vesicles. Our results show that the interaction of α-syn with lipids inhibits the formation of DA-induced α-syn oligomers. Moreover, the α-syn:DA oligomer cannot interact with lipid vesicles or cause membrane permeability. Thus, the formation of α-syn:DA oligomers may alter the actions of α-syn which require membrane association, leading to disruption of its normal cellular function.

scholarly journals Mechanistic Understanding from Molecular Dynamics in Pharmaceutical Research 2: Lipid Membrane in Drug Design

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 1062
Author(s):  
Tomasz Róg ◽  
Mykhailo Girych ◽  
Alex Bunker
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Drug Design ◽  
Active Site ◽  
Lipid Membranes ◽  
Md Simulation ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Pharmaceutical Research ◽  
Specific Protein ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
Drug Molecules

We review the use of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation as a drug design tool in the context of the role that the lipid membrane can play in drug action, i.e., the interaction between candidate drug molecules and lipid membranes. In the standard “lock and key” paradigm, only the interaction between the drug and a specific active site of a specific protein is considered; the environment in which the drug acts is, from a biophysical perspective, far more complex than this. The possible mechanisms though which a drug can be designed to tinker with physiological processes are significantly broader than merely fitting to a single active site of a single protein. In this paper, we focus on the role of the lipid membrane, arguably the most important element outside the proteins themselves, as a case study. We discuss work that has been carried out, using MD simulation, concerning the transfection of drugs through membranes that act as biological barriers in the path of the drugs, the behavior of drug molecules within membranes, how their collective behavior can affect the structure and properties of the membrane and, finally, the role lipid membranes, to which the vast majority of drug target proteins are associated, can play in mediating the interaction between drug and target protein. This review paper is the second in a two-part series covering MD simulation as a tool in pharmaceutical research; both are designed as pedagogical review papers aimed at both pharmaceutical scientists interested in exploring how the tool of MD simulation can be applied to their research and computational scientists interested in exploring the possibility of a pharmaceutical context for their research.

Self-Healing Bilayer Lipid Membranes Formed Over Synthetic Substrates

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Austin Creasy ◽  
Donald J. Leo
Keyword(s):  
Self Assembly ◽  
Lipid Membranes ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Bilayer Lipid Membrane ◽  
Unique Property ◽  
Bilayer Lipid Membranes ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Electrical Field ◽  
Bilayer Lipid ◽  
Recent Experimental Study

Biological systems demonstrate autonomous healing of damage and are an inspiration for developing self-healing materials. Our recent experimental study has demonstrated that a bilayer lipid membrane (BLM), also called a black lipid membrane, has the ability to self-heal after mechanical failure. These molecules have a unique property that they spontaneously self assembly into organized structures in an aqueous medium. The BLM forms an impervious barrier to ions and fluid between two volumes and strength of the barrier is dependent on the pressure and electrical field applied to the membrane. A BLM formed over an aperture on a silicon substrate is shown to self-heal for 5 pressurization failure cycles.

Selective arrangement of vesicles on artificial lipid membrane by biotin-avidin interaction

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Hashino ◽  
Daiya Mombayashi ◽  
Yuto Nakatani ◽  
Azusa Oshima ◽  
Masumi Yamaguchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Bilayer ◽  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Liquid Crystalline ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Unsaturated Lipid ◽  
Si Substrates ◽  
Phase Domain ◽  
Unsaturated Lipids ◽  
Lipid Mixtures ◽  
The Difference

Abstract Lipid bilayers suspended over microwells on Si substrates are promising platforms for nanobiodevices that mimic cell membranes. Using the biotin-avidin interaction, we have succeeded in selectively arranging vesicles on the freestanding region of a lipid bilayer. When ternary lipid mixtures of saturated lipid, unsaturated lipid, and cholesterol are used, they separate into liquid-order (Lo) and liquid-crystalline (Lα) domains. A freestanding lipid bilayer prefers the Lα-phase over the Lo-phase because of the difference in their flexibility. In addition, the type of biotinylated lipid determines whether it is localized in the Lα-phase domain or the Lo-phase domain. As a result, the biotinylated unsaturated lipids localized in the Lα-phase domain aggregate in the freestanding lipid bilayer, and vesicles labeled with biotin selectively bind to the freestanding lipid bilayer by the biotin-avidin interaction. This technique helps to introduce biomolecules into the freestanding lipid bilayer of nanobiodevices via vesicles.

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