Osmotically induced shape changes of large unilamellar vesicles measured by dynamic light scattering

Static and dynamic light scattering measurements have been used to characterize the size, size distribution, and shape of extruded vesicles under isotonic conditions. Dynamic light scattering was then used to characterize osmotically induced shape changes by monitoring changes in the hydrodynamic radius (R(h)) of large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs). These changes are compared to those predicted for several shapes that appear in trajectories through the phase diagram of the area difference elasticity (ADE) model (. Phys. Rev. E. 52:6623-6634). Measurements were performed on dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) vesicles using two membrane-impermeant osmolytes (NaCl and sucrose) and a membrane-permeant osmolyte (urea). For all conditions, we were able to produce low-polydispersity, nearly spherical vesicles, which are essential for resolving well-defined volume changes and consequent shape changes. Hyper-osmotic dilutions of DOPC vesicles in urea produced no change in R(h), whereas similar dilutions in NaCl or sucrose caused reductions in vesicle volume resulting in observable changes to R(h). Under conditions similar to those of this study, the ADE model predicts an evolution from spherical to prolate then oblate shapes on increasing volume reduction of LUVs. However, we found that DOPC vesicles became oblate at all applied volume reductions.     

Interaction of charged lipid vesicles with planar bilayer lipid membranes: Detection by antibiotic membrane probes

A technique has been developed for monitoring the interaction of charged phospholipid vesicles with planar bilayer lipid membranes (BLM) by use of the antibiotics Valinomycin, Nonactin, and Monazomycin as surface-charge probes. Anionic phosphatidylserine vesicles, when added to one aqueous compartment of a BLM, are shown to impart negative surface charge to zwitterionic phosphatidylocholine and phosphatidylethanolamine bilayers. The surface charge is distributed asymmertically, mainly on the vesicular side of the BLM, and is not removed by exchange of the vesicular aqueous solution. Possible mechanisms for the vesicle-BLM interactions are discussed.     

Babesia bovis: immunity induced by vaccination with a lipid enriched fraction

A chloroform extract from Babesia bovis-infected erythrocytes was used to vaccinate a group of five naive cattle. Following vaccination, the vaccinates, along with a group of control cattle, were challenged with a virulent heterologous strain of B. bovis. The vaccinates, comparative to the controls, showed delayed as well as decreased parasitaemias. The serological and initial biochemical studies suggested that the immune response was elicited by lipid of babesial origin.     

Conformational change of poly(L-lysine) induced by lipid vesicles of dilauroylphosphatidic acid

The effect of negatively charged dilauroylphosphatidic acid (DLPA) vesicles on the conformation of poly(L-lysine) was investigated by circular dichroism measurements. DLPA vesicles induced a conformational change of poly(L-lysine) from the random coil to beta-structure in 5 mM Tes, pH 7.0. The fraction of induced beta-structure (F beta) was determined via a procedure of curve fitting of the observed spectra to the reference spectra. F beta increased linearly with the molar ratio, r, of DLPA to lysine residues up to r congruent to 0.7, and reached a saturation value of 1 at r greater than 1. Within the range 0.7 less than or equal to r less than or equal to 1, precipitation occurred. The effect of dilution of the negative charge on vesicle membranes was examined by mixing DLPA with dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC). Although the beta-structure of poly(L-lysine) was also induced by mixed vesicles, the saturation value of F beta decreased with decreasing DLPA content in mixed vesicles. The variation in saturation value of F beta with the composition of mixed vesicles was interpreted in terms of the change in average distance between DLPA head groups in mixed vesicles.     

Conformational change of poly( -lysine) induced by lipid vesicles of dilauroylphosphatidic acid

The effect of negatively charged dilauroylphosphatidic acid (DLPA) vesicles on the conformation of poly( -lysine) was investigated by circular dichroism measurements. DLPA vesicles induced a confomiational change Of poly( -lysine) from the random coil to β-structure in 5 mM Tes, pH 7.0. The fraction of induced β-structure (F_β) was determined via a procedure of curve fit the observed spectra to the reference spectra. F_β increased linearly with the molar ratio, r, of DLPA to lysine residues up to r 0.7, and reached a saturation value of 1 at r > 1. Within the range 0.7 r 1, precipitation occurred. The effect of dilution of the negative charge on vesicle membranes was examined by mixing DLPA with dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC). Although the β-structure Of poly -lysine) was also induced by mixed vesicles, the saturation value of F_β decreased with decreasing DLPA content in mixed vesicles. The variation in saturation value of F_β with the composition of mixed vesicles was interpreted in terms of the change in average distance between DLPA head groups in mixed vesicles.     

Lipid packing variations induced by pH in cardiolipin-containing bilayers: the driving force for the cristae-like shape instability

Cardiolipin is a four-tailed acidic lipid found predominantly within the inner membrane of mitochondria, and is thought to be a key component in determining inner membrane properties and potential. Thus, cardiolipin may be involved in the dynamics of the inner membrane characteristic invaginations (named cristae) that protrude into the matrix space. In previous studies, we showed the possibility to induce, by localized proton flow, a macroscopic cristae-like shape remodeling of an only-lipid model membrane mimicking the inner mitochondrial membrane. In addition, we reported a theoretical model describing the dynamics of a chemically driven membrane shape instability caused by a modification of the plane-shape equilibrium density of the lipids in the membrane. In the present work, we focus on the lipid-packing modifications observed in a model cardiolipin-containing lipid membrane submitted to pH decrease because this is the driving force of the instability. Laurdan fluorescence and ζ-potential measurements show that under pH decrease, membrane surface charge decreases, but that significant modification of the lipid packing is observed only for CL-containing membranes. Our giant unilamellar vesicle experiments also indicate that cristae-like morphologies are only observed for CL-containing lipid membranes. Taken together, these results highlight the fact that only a strong modulation of the lipid packing of the exposed monolayer leads to membrane shape instability and suggest that mitochondrial lipids, in particular the cardiolipin, play a specific role under pH modulation in inner mitochondrial membrane morphology and dynamics.     

Glycolipid transfer protein interaction with bilayer vesicles: modulation by changing lipid composition

Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) are important constituents of lipid rafts and caveolae, are essential for the normal development of cells, and are adhesion sites for various infectious agents. One strategy for modulating GSL composition in lipid rafts is to selectively transfer GSL to or from these putative membrane microdomains. Glycolipid transfer protein (GLTP) catalyzes selective intermembrane transfer of GSLs. To enable effective use of GLTP as a tool to modify the glycolipid content of membranes, it is imperative to understand how the membrane regulates GLTP action. In this study, GLTP partitioning to membranes was analyzed by monitoring the fluorescence resonance energy transfer from tryptophans and tyrosines of GLTP to N-(5-dimethyl-aminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl)-1,2-dihexadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-ethanolamine present in bilayer vesicles. GLTP partitioned to POPC vesicles even when no GSL was present. GLTP interaction with model membranes was nonpenetrating, as assessed by protein-induced changes in lipid monolayer surface pressure, and nonperturbing in that neither membrane fluidity nor order were affected, as monitored by anisotropy of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene and 6-dodecanoyl-N,N-dimethyl-2-naphthylamine, even though the tryptophan anisotropy of GLTP increased in the presence of vesicles. Ionic strength, vesicle packing, and vesicle lipid composition affected GLTP partitioning to the membrane and led to the following conclusion: Conditions that increase the ratio of bound/unbound GLTP do not guarantee increased transfer activity, but conditions that decrease the ratio of bound/unbound GLTP always diminish transfer. A model of GLTP interaction with the membrane, based on the partitioning equilibrium data and consistent with the kinetics of GSL transfer, is presented and solved mathematically.     

Light induced transmembrane proton gradient in artificial lipid vesicles reconstituted with photosynthetic reaction centers

Photosynthetic reaction center (RC) is the minimal nanoscopic photoconverter in the photosynthetic membrane that catalyzes the conversion of solar light to energy readily usable for the metabolism of the living organisms. After electronic excitation the energy of light is converted into chemical potential by the generation of a charge separated state accompanied by intraprotein and ultimately transmembrane proton movements. We designed a system which fulfills the minimum structural and functional requirements to investigate the physico/chemical conditions of the processes: RCs were reconstituted in closed lipid vesicles made of selected lipids entrapping a pH sensitive indicator, and electron donors (cytochrome c? and K?[Fe(CN)?]) and acceptors (decylubiquinone) were added to sustain the photocycle. Thanks to the low proton permeability of our preparations, we could show the formation of a transmembrane proton gradient under illumination and low buffering conditions directly by measuring proton-related signals simultaneously inside and outside the vesicles. The effect of selected ionophores such as gramicidin, nigericin and valinomycin was used to gain more information on the transmembrane proton gradient driven by the RC photochemistry.     

Giant phospholipid vesicles: comparison among the whole lipid sample characteristics using different preparation methods: a two photon fluorescence microscopy study

Several methods for the preparation of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) using synthetic phosphatidylcholine phospholipids were evaluated. We compared the physical characteristics--in terms of lamellarity and morphology--of the whole lipid sample for each different lipid preparation using the sectioning capability of the two-photon excitation fluorescence microscope. From the evaluation of the entire lipid sample we determined that vesicle size, internal shape and shell thickness distributions depend on the vesicle's preparation method. Our results show that the preparation of giant unilamellar vesicles by the application of external electric fields offers several advantages among the other methods tested here. Using this method a high yield (approximately 95%) of giant unilamellar vesicles with a narrow size distribution was obtained. Independently of the preparation method, some lipid structures, which are held together by lipid tethers, were identified and resolved. These particular lipid structures show shell thickness and size heterogeneity. Labeling the lipid samples with 6-lauroyl-2-(N,N-dimethylamino)naphtalene (LAURDAN) and using the LAURDAN generalized polarization function we show that the lipid packing in these tethers or tubes is similar to those found in the phospholipid vesicles. The fact that both vesicles and tethers are found in the lipid preparations indicates similar stability between these structures.     

Surface changes induced by osmotic stress and its influence on the glycerol permeability in lipid bilayers

The penetration rate of glycerol across lipid bilayers can be assayed dispersing liposomes filled with a 0.1 M glucose solution in an isotonic or a hypertonic solution of glycerol. The kinetic of glycerol permeation is found to be different in each of those cases. Liposomes dispersed above the phase transition temperature in hypertonic solutions show an increase in the surface polarization as measured by means of merocyanine 540. Under this condition, the permeation of glycerol shows a two-step kinetic which is indicative of a non-fickean diffusion process. In contrast, liposomes dispersed in isotonic solutions of the permeant show a fickean behavior. The changes in polarization of the membrane interface are ascribed to variations in the surface potential due to the osmotic collapse and the glycerol concentration in contact with the outer surface. The permeability of polar molecules can, in consequence, be considered as a function of the surface potential of the liposome which is congruent with previous data in literature reporting that water permeability increases as a function of the zeta potential of liposomes shrunken in hypertonic solutions.     

Hybridization by cosonication of pigeon erythrocyte membrane with exogenous lipid vesicles

Summary Concentrated mixtures of lipid vesicles and pigeon erythrocyte membrane were cosonicated in order to produce functional hybrid vesicles. From the properties of the resulting material, we conclude that hybrids were very probably formed. These properties were as follows: (i) The presence of membrane increased the sonic fragmentability of lipid vesicles. Sonic fragmentability was assessed by measuring sonication-induced release of previously trapped [¹⁴C]-choline and trapping of external [³H]-choline. (ii) Space enclosed by lipid was served by the membrane-like properties of³⁶Cl^– permeability and ATP-dependent⁴⁵Ca⁺⁺ uptake activity. (iii)³⁶Cl-permeability was more readily and fully induced into the more easily fragmented lipid vesicles. Further sonication caused loss of the induced³⁶Cl^–-permeability. This loss was less rapid with the less easily fragmented lipid vesicles; i.e., less easily fragmented lipids protected³⁶Cl^–-permeability better. (iv) Glycine uptake activity was partially protected from sonic damage by the presence of lipid vesicles. (v) On centrifugation in bovine serum albumin density gradients, cosonicated material showed lipid properties (enclosed choline and³²P_i space and [³H]-cholesterol) and membrane properties (³⁶Cl^–-permeability and ATP-dependent⁴⁵Ca²⁺ uptake) coinciding at a density intermediate between those reached by separately sonicated membrane and lipid vesicles. (vi) Electron micrographs showed the disappearance of pure membrane-like structures and the appearance of large amounts of new vesicles whose appearance is consistent with a hybrid structure.     

Leakage of internal markers from erythrocytes and lipid vesicles induced by melittin, gramicidin S and alamethicin: a comparative study.

The membrane-disruptive capacities of melittin, derivatised melittins, alamethicin and gramicidin S have been compared for the human erythrocyte membrane and lipid vesicles of three different compositions (phosphatidylcholine, 85% phosphatidylcholine/15% phosphatidylserine, and a lipid analogue of the outer leaflet of the human erythrocyte membrane). The sensitivity to ionic strength, divalent metal ions and polylysine of release of fluorescent markers from liposomes and of haemoglobin from intact erythrocytes has been assayed. Acetyl melittin was found to he more effective than melittin in lysing phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylserine vesicles, somewhat less effective in the lipid analogue and markedly less effective in lysing erythrocytes. Succinyl melittin was non-haemolytic, but was able to lyse lipid vesicles at a high concentration. Ca2+ inhibited melittin haemolysis at high ionic strength (150 mM NaCl), but produced a more complex response of stimulation followed by inhibition at low ionic strength. In lipid vesicles, Ca2+ either stimulated melittin lysis or was ineffective. Zn2+ exerted effects similar to Ca2+ with lipid vesicles at approx. 10-fold lower concentration except that a weak inhibition was observed for the erythrocyte membrane lipid analogue at high ionic strength. Polylysine strongly inhibited haemolysis by melittin at low ionic strength, but was ineffective or stimulatory in lipid vesicle lysis. High phosphate concentration also inhibited melittin haemolysis, but again no corresponding effect could he found in any of the lipid vesicle systems. These disparities between effects of melittin on erythrocytes and lipid vesicles support the proposal that melittin-protein interactions are of consequence to its haemolytic action. Similar experiments were performed with gramicidin S and alamethicin in order to compare their lytic properties with those of melittin. It was found that each lysin exhibited its own individual pattern of sensitivity to lipid composition, ionic strength and inhibition by cations. It thus appears likely that the detailed molecular interactions responsible for lysis are significantly different for each of these three agents.     

Association of synthetic model peptides with phospholipid vesicles induced by a membrane potential

Hydrophobic model peptides, consisting of 5 or 6 amino acids and carrying a net positive charge at the amino terminus, exhibit a dramatically increased association with large unilamellar egg-PC vesicles upon application of a valinomycin-induced K+ diffusion potential, negative inside. The association of the peptides is largely reversible, apparent from a release of peptide upon dissipation of the membrane potential.     

Shape transitions and shape stability of giant phospholipid vesicles in pure water induced by area-to-volume changes.

Shape transformations of vesicles of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (= DMPC) and palmitoyloleylphosphatidylcholine (= POPC) in ion-free water were induced by changing the area-to-volume ratio via temperature variations. Depending on the pretreatment we find several types of shape changes for DMPC (in pure water) at increasing area-to-volume ratio: (a) budding transitions leading to the formation of a chain of vesicles at further increase of the area-to-volume ratio, (b) discocyte-stomatocyte transitions, (c) reentrant dumbbell-pear-dumbbell transitions, and (d) spontaneous blebbing and/or tether formation of spherical vesicles. Beside these transitions a more exotic dumbbell-discocyte transition (e) was found which proceeded via local instabilities. Pears, discocytes, and stomatocytes are stable with respect to small temperature variations unless the excess area is close to values corresponding to limiting shapes of budded vesicles where temperature variations of less than or equal to 0.1 degree C lead to spontaneous budding to the inside or the outside. For POPC we observed only budding transitions to the inside leading either to chains of vesicles or to distributions of equally sized daughter vesicles protruding to the inside of the vesicle. Preliminary experiments concerning the effect of solutes are also reported. The first three types of shape transitions can be explained in terms of the bilayer coupling model assuming small differences in thermal expansivities of the two monolayers. This does not hold for the observed instabilities close to the limiting shapes.     

Rapid phase change of lipid microdomains in giant vesicles induced by conversion of sphingomyelin to ceramide

To understand the role of sphingomyelinase (SMase) in the function of biological membranes, we have investigated the effect of conversion of sphingomyelin (SM) to ceramide (Cer) on the assembly of domains in giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). The GUVs were prepared from mixture of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC), N-palmitoly-D-erythro-sphingosine (C16Cer), N-palmitoyl-D-erythro-sphingosylphosphorylcholine (C16SM) and cholesterol. The amounts of DOPC, sum of C16Cer and C16SM, and cholesterol were kept constant (the ratio of these four lipids is shown as 1:X:1-X:1 (molar ratio), i.e., X is C16Cer/(C16Cer+C16SM)). Shape and distribution of domains formed in the GUVs were monitored by a fluorescent lipid, Texas Red 1,2-dihexadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (0.1 mol%). In GUVs containing low C16Cer (X=0 and 0.25), round-shaped domains labeled by the fluorescent lipid were present, suggesting coexistence of liquid-ordered and disordered domains. In GUVs containing intermediate Cer concentration (X=0.5), the fluorescent domain covered most of GUV surface, which was surrounded by gel-like domains. Differential scanning calorimetry of multilamellar vesicles prepared in the presence of higher Cer concentration (X>or=0.5) suggested existence of a Cer-enriched gel phase. Video microscopy showed that the enzymatic conversion of SM to Cer caused rapid change in the domain structure: several minutes after the SMase addition, the fluorescent region spread over the GUV surface, within which regions with darker contrast existed. Image-based measurement of generalized polarization (GP) of 6-dodecanoyl-2-dimethylaminonaphthalene (Laurdan), which is related to the acyl chain ordering of the lipids, was performed. Before the SMase treatment domains with high (0.65) and low (below 0.4) GP values coexisted, presumably reflecting the liquid-ordered and disordered domains; after the SMase treatment regions with intermediate GP values (0.5) and smaller regions with higher GP values (0.65) were present. Generation of Cer thus caused a phase transition from liquid-ordered and disordered phases to a gel and liquid phase.     

Rapid phase change of lipid microdomains in giant vesicles induced by conversion of sphingomyelin to ceramide

To understand the role of sphingomyelinase (SMase) in the function of biological membranes, we have investigated the effect of conversion of sphingomyelin (SM) to ceramide (Cer) on the assembly of domains in giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). The GUVs were prepared from mixture of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC), N-palmitoly-d-erythro-sphingosine (C₁₆Cer), N-palmitoyl-d-erythro-sphingosylphosphorylcholine (C₁₆SM) and cholesterol. The amounts of DOPC, sum of C₁₆Cer and C₁₆SM, and cholesterol were kept constant (the ratio of these four lipids is shown as 1:X:1-X:1 (molar ratio), i.e., X is C₁₆Cer/(C₁₆Cer + C₁₆SM)). Shape and distribution of domains formed in the GUVs were monitored by a fluorescent lipid, Texas Red 1,2-dihexadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (0.1 mol%). In GUVs containing low C₁₆Cer (X = 0 and 0.25), round-shaped domains labeled by the fluorescent lipid were present, suggesting coexistence of liquid-ordered and disordered domains. In GUVs containing intermediate Cer concentration (X = 0.5), the fluorescent domain covered most of GUV surface, which was surrounded by gel-like domains. Differential scanning calorimetry of multilamellar vesicles prepared in the presence of higher Cer concentration (X ≥ 0.5) suggested existence of a Cer-enriched gel phase. Video microscopy showed that the enzymatic conversion of SM to Cer caused rapid change in the domain structure: several minutes after the SMase addition, the fluorescent region spread over the GUV surface, within which regions with darker contrast existed. Image-based measurement of generalized polarization (GP) of 6-dodecanoyl-2-dimethylaminonaphthalene (Laurdan), which is related to the acyl chain ordering of the lipids, was performed. Before the SMase treatment domains with high (0.65) and low (below 0.4) GP values coexisted, presumably reflecting the liquid-ordered and disordered domains; after the SMase treatment regions with intermediate GP values (0.5) and smaller regions with higher GP values (0.65) were present. Generation of Cer thus caused a phase transition from liquid-ordered and disordered phases to a gel and liquid phase.     

Antibody interaction with a membrane-bound fluorescent ligand on synthetic lipid vesicles

The interaction of membrane-bound ligand with bivalent and monovalent fragments of monoclonal antibody was studied by fluorescence and precipitation analysis using synthetic lipid vesicles. The ligand N epsilon-[5-(dimethylamino)-naphthyl-1-sulfonyl]lysine was linked to the hydrophobic anchor dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine and ranged between 0.01 and 1 mol% of the membrane components. The effects of cholesterol on the specific interaction were observed over the range of 0-50 mol%. A precipitation assay was developed to evaluate various factors related to the cross-linking of small unilamellar vesicles by bivalent antibody. The cholesterol content was critical for this process as demonstrated by the increased efficiency of precipitation over the range of 0-40 mol% of this component. Fluorescence analysis yielded the parallel finding of increased accessibility of the ligand to the antibody with greater cholesterol content. Increased surface density of the ligand also was found to enhance the intervesicle interaction. Finally, a comparison of the kinetics by fluorescence analysis of the binding of monovalent and bivalent fragments indicated that the bivalent interaction involved primarily the cross-linking of vesicles in accord with published findings of the interaction of monoclonal antibody with cell membrane antigens.     

Flippase activity detected with unlabeled lipids by shape changes of giant unilamellar vesicles

Transbilayer movement of phospholipids in biological membranes is mediated by energy-dependent and energy-independent flippases. Available methods for detection of flippase mediated transversal flip-flop are essentially based on spin-labeled or fluorescent lipid analogues. Here we demonstrate that shape change of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) can be used as a new tool to study the occurrence and time scale of flippase-mediated transbilayer movement of unlabeled phospholipids. Insertion of lipids into the external leaflet created an area difference between the two leaflets that caused the formation of a bud-like structure. Under conditions of negligible flip-flop, the bud was stable. Upon reconstitution of the energy-independent flippase activity of the yeast endoplasmic reticulum into GUVs, the initial bud formation was reversible, and the shapes were recovered. This can be ascribed to a rapid flip-flop leading to relaxation of the monolayer area difference. Theoretical analysis of kinetics of shape changes provides self-consistent determination of the flip-flop rate and further kinetic parameters. Based on that analysis, the half-time of phospholipid flip-flop in the presence of endoplasmic reticulum proteins was found to be on the order of few minutes. In contrast, GUVs reconstituted with influenza virus protein formed stable buds. The results argue for the presence of specific membrane proteins mediating rapid flip-flop.