Effects of cholesterol on the divalent cation-mediated interactions of vesicles containing amino and choline phospholipids

We have used assays of lipid probe mixing, contents mixing and contents leakage to monitor the divalent cation-mediated interactions between lipid vesicles containing phosphatidylserine (PS) as a minority component together with mixtures of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylcholine (PC) or sphingomyelin, and cholesterol in varying proportions. The initial rates of calcium- and magnesium-induced lipid probe quenching between vesicles, which reflect primarily the rates of vesicle aggregation, are strongly reduced as progressively higher proportions of PC or sphingomyelin are incorporated into PE/PS vesicles. The initial rates of divalent cation-induced contents mixing and contents leakage for PE/PS vesicles are also strongly reduced when choline phospholipids are incorporated into the vesicles in even low molar proportions. Sphingomyelin has a more potent inhibitory effect on these processes than does PC at an equal level in the vesicle membranes. The inclusion of cholesterol in these vesicles, at levels up to 1:2 moles sterol/mole phospholipid, has little effect on the rates of calcium- or magnesium-induced vesicle aggregation. However, cholesterol significantly enhances the initial rates of vesicle contents mixing and contents leakage in the presence of divalent cations when the vesicles contain choline as well as amino phospholipids. This effect is substantial only when the level of cholesterol exceeds the level of choline phospholipids in the vesicles. These results may have significance for the fusion of certain cellular membranes in mammalian cells, whose cytoplasmic faces have lipid compositions very similar to those of the vesicles examined in this study.     

Stability and fusion of lipid vesicles containing headgroup-modified analogues of phosphatidylethanolamine

We have used lipid mixing, contents mixing and contents-leakage assays to characterize the divalent cation-mediated interactions of vesicles composed of various headgroup-modified analogues of phosphatidylethanolamine, PE (N- and C-2-alkylated derivatives, and analogues with increased separations of the phosphoryl and amino groups) together with a low mole percentage of phosphatidylserine (PS). Vesicles containing different structural analogues of PE exhibit marked differences, both in the threshold divalent cation concentrations that are required to initiate vesicle-vesicle interactions and in the rates of contents mixing and leakage observed at suprathresholds divalent cation concentrations. The efficiencies of divalent cation-promoted contents leakage, and to a slightly lesser extent those of contents mixing, for PS/PE (analogue) vesicles show a marked inverse correlation with the lamellar-to-hexagonal II transition temperature (TH) of the PE (analogue) component. However, the destabilization kinetics for such vesicles show no abrupt changes over the temperature range around the equilibrium TH value measured for the vesicle lipids. Vesicles combining PS with different PE analogues exhibit divalent cation thresholds for aggregation that are not correlated with the TH values of the PE (analogue) components but appear instead to be correlated with the equilibrium interbilayer separations measured in multilamellar dispersions of these species. We have identified headgroup-modified analogues of PE that can be used to prepare vesicles that fuse more rapidly under a given set of conditions, or that show a bette ratio of fusion-to-contents-leakage rates, than do PE-containing vesicles. These results may be useful both for understanding better the bases for the high fusion-supporting ability of PE and for the preparation of lipid vesicles 'tailored' for particular practical applications.     

Relationship between intact cell ATP levels and glucocorticoid receptor-binding capacity in the AtT-20 cell

A study was made on the correlation between the degree of membrane fusion and surface tension increase of phosphatidic acid membranes caused by divalent cations. Membrane fusion was followed by the Tb3+/dipicolinic acid assay, monitoring the fluorescent intensity for mixing of the internal aqueous contents of small unilamellar lipid vesicles. The surface tension and surface potential of monolayers made of the same lipids as used in the fusion experiments were measured as a function of divalent cation concentration. It was found that the 'threshold' concentration to induce massive vesicle membrane fusion was the same for Ca2+ and Mg2+, and that the surface tension increase in the monolayer, induced by changing divalent cation concentration from zero to a concentration which corresponds to its threshold value, inducing vesicle membrane fusion, was approximately the same: 6.3 dyn/cm for both Ca2+ and Mg2+. Both the divalent cation's threshold concentrations as well as the surface tension change corresponding to the threshold concentration for the phosphatidic acid membrane were smaller than those for the phosphatidylserine membrane. The different fusion capability of these divalent cations for phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylserine membranes is discussed in terms of the different ion binding capabilities of these ions to the membranes.     

Kinetics and thermodynamics of calcium-induced lateral phase separations in phosphatidic acid containing bilayers

The effects of calcium on the mixing of synthetic diacylphosphatidylcholines (PC's) and diacylphosphatidylethanolamines (PE's) with the corresponding phosphatidic acids (PA's) have been examined by high-sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry and by measurements of the fluorescence of labeled PA or PC species in PA-PC bilayers. Calorimetrically derived phase diagrams for dimyristoyl- and dielaidoyl-substituted PA-PC and PA-PE mixtures indicate that these species are readily miscible in the absence of calcium but phase-separate very extensively in the presence of high levels of calcium (30 mM). The limiting solubilities of PA (Ca2+) in liquid-crystalline PC or PE bilayers are less than or equal to 10 and approximately 5 mol %, respectively, while approximately 20 mol % of PC or PE can be introduced into the "cochleate" phase of PA (Ca2+) before a distinct PC-rich (or PE-rich) phase appears. The kinetics of calcium-induced lateral phase separations were examined for dioleoyl- and dielaidoyl-substituted PA-PC unilamellar vesicles labeled with fluorescent (C12-NBD-acyl) PA or PC, whose fluorescence becomes partially quenched upon phase separation. Our results indicate that, for the PA-PC system, lateral phase separation is very rapid (approximately less than 1 s) after calcium addition and develops partially (possibly in only one face of the bilayer) when calcium is present only on one side of the bilayer. Moreover, phase separations can develop at a rate faster than that of vesicle diffusion when calcium is added to dilute suspensions of vesicles, suggesting that interbilayer contacts are not essential to promote phase separations.     

pH-dependent stability and fusion of liposomes combining protonatable double-chain amphiphiles with phosphatidylethanolamine

We have prepared a series of novel double-chain amphiphiles with protonatable head groups, including acylated derivatives of various 2-substituted palmitic acids, amino acid conjugates of these species, and 1,2-dioleoyl-3-succinylglycerol. These species can be combined with phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) to prepare reverse-phase evaporation vesicles that are stable and trap hydrophilic solutes at pH 7. At weakly acidic pH values (as high as 6.5, depending on the titratable amphiphilic component), these pH-sensitive vesicles exhibit fusion, with a limited extent of contents mixing and extensive mixing of lipids, accompanied by leakage of aqueous contents. Protons and divalent cations show strong synergistic effects in promoting mixing of both lipids and aqueous contents between pH-sensitive vesicles prepared with any of a variety of double-chain titratable amphiphiles. Calorimetric results indicate that the relative stabilities of different types of pH-sensitive liposomes at low pH cannot be simply correlated with the propensity of the lipids to form a hexagonal II phase under these conditions. Fluorescence measurements demonstrate that single-chain fatty acids, but not double-chain titratable amphiphiles such as N-acyl-2-aminopalmitic acids, are rapidly removed from pH-sensitive vesicles in the presence of other lipid vesicles, serum albumin, or serum. Additionally, pH-sensitive liposomes containing double-chain titratable amphiphiles retain their aqueous contents better than do those containing single-chain amphiphiles in the presence of lipid membranes or albumin. Surprisingly, however, pH-sensitive vesicles of either type show retention of contents in the presence of serum that is comparable to that observed with vesicles composed purely of phospholipids. A model is proposed to explain these latter findings.     

Bilayer Mixing,Fusion, and Lysis Following the Interaction of Populations of Cationic and Anionic Phospholipid Bilayer Vesicles

Cationic, O-alkylphosphatidylcholines, recently developed as DNA transfection agents, form bilayers indistinguishable from those of natural phospholipids and undergo fusion with anionic bilayers. Membrane merging (lipid mixing), contents release, and contents mixing between populations of positive vesicles containing O-ethylphosphatidylcholine (EDOPC) and negative vesicles containing dioleolylphosphatidylglycerol (DOPG) have been determined with standard fluorometric vesicle-population assays. Surface-charge densities were varied from zero to full charge. All interactions depended critically on surface-charge density, as expected from the adhesion-condensation mechanism. Membrane mixing ranged from zero to 100%, with significant mixing (>10 <70%) occurring between cationic vesicles that were fully charged and anionic vesicles that had fractional surface charges as low as 0.1. Such mixing with membranes as weakly charged as cell membranes should be relevant to transfection with cationic lipids. Unexpectedly, lipid mixing was higher at high than at low ionic strength when one lipid dispersion was prepared from EDOPC plus DOPG (in different proportions), especially when the other vesicles were of EDOPC; this may somehow be a consequence of the ability of the former mixture to assume non-lamellar phases. Leakage of aqueous contents was also a strong function of charge, with fully charged vesicles releasing essentially all of their contents less than 1 min after mixing. EDOPC was more active in this regard than was DOPG, which probably reflects stronger intermolecular interactions of DOPG. Fusion, as measured by contents mixing, exhibited maximal values of 10% at intermediate surface charge. Reduced fusion at higher charge is attributed to multiple vesicle interactions leading to rupture. The existence of previously published data on individual interactions of vesicles of the same composition made it possible for the first time to compare pairwise with population interactions, confirming the likelihood of population studies to overestimate rupture and hemifusion and underestimate true vesicle fusion.     

Leaky vesicle fusion induced by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C: observation of mixing of vesicular inner monolayers

Large unilamellar vesicles containing phosphatidylinositol (PI), neutral phospholipids, and cholesterol are induced to fuse by the catalytic activity of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC). PI cleavage by PI-PLC is followed by vesicle aggregation, intervesicular lipid mixing, and mixing of vesicular aqueous contents. An average of 2-3 vesicles merge into a large one in the fusion process. Vesicle fusion is accompanied by leakage of vesicular contents. A novel method has been developed to monitor mixing of lipids located in the inner monolayers of the vesicles involved in fusion. Using this method, the mixing of inner monolayer lipids and that of vesicular aqueous contents are seen to occur simultaneously, thus giving rise to the fusion pore. Kinetic studies show, for fusing vesicles, second-order dependence of lipid mixing on diacylglycerol concentration in the bilayer. Varying proportions of PI in the liposomal formulation lead to different physical effects of PI-PLC. Specifically, 30-40 mol % PI lead to vesicle fusion, while with 5-10 mol % PI only hemifusion is detected, i.e., mixing of outer monolayer lipids without mixing of aqueous contents. However, when diacylglycerol is included in the bilayers containing 5 mol % PI, PI-PLC activity leads to complete fusion.     

Fusion,Leakage and Surface Hydrophobicity of Vesicles Containing Phosphoinositides: Influence of Steric and Electrostatic Effects

Calcium and lanthanum ion-induced fusion of lipid vesicles containing phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylinositol-4-monophosphate (PIP), phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) or phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3) and its associated membrane properties, e.g., surface dielectric constant and vesicle leakage, were studied by fluorescence methods. The presence of poly-phosphorylated phosphoinositides (PPI) in lipid vesicles enhanced fusion, depending on the PPI phosphorylation level and the PPI concentration, as determined by the lipid mixing assay. This correlation held even at physiologically relevant small concentrations of PPI in vesicle membranes. However, the presence of nonphosphorylated PI inhibited fusion due to the steric effect of the inositol ring. The cation threshold concentration for the lipid mixing of vesicles made of mixtures of phosphatidylserine (PS) with PI increased with increasing PI contents. For all vesicle systems studied, a decrease in vesicle surface dielectric constant and an increase in vesicle leakage accompanied fusion. The presence of the nonphosphorylated inositol ring in PI did not interfere with the changes in the surface dielectric constant caused by fusogenic cations. Therefore, we deduce that the reduction of the surface dielectric constant is a necessary condition for membrane fusion to occur but it does not correlate with membrane fusion when interacting membranes are blocked for close approach as by the nonphosphorylated inositol ring.     

Calcium-induced lipid phase separations and interactions of phosphatidylcholine/anionic phospholipid vesicles. Fluorescence studies using carbazole-labeled and brominated phospholipids

A novel method that uses a carbazole-labeled fluorescent phosphatidylcholine, which partitions preferentially into liquid-crystalline lipid domains, to monitor the kinetics and the extents of thermotropic and ionotropic lateral phase separations in vesicles combining brominated and nonbrominated phosphatidylcholines (PCs), phosphatidic acids (PAs), and phosphatidylserines (PSs) is described. The calcium-induced segregation of several nonbrominated PA species in liquid-crystalline brominated PC bilayers behaves as a well-defined lateral phase separation; the residual solubility of the PA component in the PC-rich phase in the presence of calcium can vary severalfold depending on the PA acyl chain composition. PC/PS mixtures show a pronounced tendency to form metastable solutions in the presence of calcium, particularly when they contain less than equimolar proportions of PS. This metastability is not readily relaxed by repeated freeze-thawing of vesicles in the presence of calcium, by avidin-mediated contacts between PC/PS vesicles containing biotinylated lipids, or by calcium-induced lateral segregation of PA in the same vesicles. Different PS species exhibit different apparent residual solubilities in liquid-crystalline PC bilayers, ranging from less than 10 mol % for dimyristoyl-PS to ca. 45 mol% for dioleoyl-PS, after prolonged incubations of PC/PS multilamellar vesicles with excess calcium. Results are presented, obtained by using the above lipid-segregation assay and parallel assays of intervesicle lipid mixing, that raise questions concerning the relevance of the equilibrium behavior of calcium-treated PS/PC mixtures to the relatively rapid interactions (fusion and lipid mixing) of PC/PS vesicles that follow initial exposure to calcium.     

Interactions between human defensins and lipid bilayers: evidence for formation of multimeric pores.

Defensins comprise a family of broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptides that are stored in the cytoplasmic granules of mammalian neutrophils and Paneth cells of the small intestine. Neutrophil defensins are known to permeabilize cell membranes of susceptible microorganisms, but the mechanism of permeabilization is uncertain. We report here the results of an investigation of the mechanism by which HNP-2, one of 4 human neutrophil defensins, permeabilizes large unilamellar vesicles formed from the anionic lipid palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylglycerol (POPG). As observed by others, we find that HNP-2 (net charge = +3) cannot bind to vesicles formed from neutral lipids. The binding of HNP-2 to vesicles containing varying amounts of POPG and neutral (zwitterionic) palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC) demonstrates that binding is initiated through electrostatic interactions. Because vesicle aggregation and fusion can confound studies of the interaction of HNP-2 with vesicles, those processes were explored systematically by varying the concentrations of vesicles and HNP-2, and the POPG:POPC ratio. Vesicles (300 microM POPG) readily aggregated at HNP-2 concentrations above 1 microM, but no mixing of vesicle contents could be detected for concentrations as high as 2 microM despite the fact that intervesicular lipid mixing could be demonstrated. This indicates that if fusion of vesicles occurs, it is hemi-fusion, in which only the outer monolayers mix at bilayer contact sites. Under conditions of limited aggregation and intervesicular lipid mixing, the fractional leakage of small solutes is a sigmoidal function of peptide concentration. For 300 microM POPG vesicles, 50% of entrapped solute is released by 0.7 microM HNP-2. We introduce a simple method for determining whether leakage from vesicles is graded or all-or-none. We show by means of this fluorescence "requenching" method that native HNP-2 induces vesicle leakage in an all-or-none manner, whereas reduced HNP-2 induces partial, or graded, leakage of vesicle contents. At HNP-2 concentrations that release 100% of small (approximately 400 Da) markers, a fluorescent dextran of 4,400 Da is partially retained in the vesicles, and a 18,900-Da dextran is mostly retained. These results suggest that HNP-2 can form pores that have a maximum diameter of approximately 25 A. A speculative multimeric model of the pore is presented based on these results and on the crystal structure of a human defensin.     

pH-dependent fusion of phosphatidylcholine small vesicles. Induction by a synthetic amphipathic peptide

A synthetic, amphipathic 30-amino acid peptide with the major repeat unit Glu-Ala-Leu-Ala (GALA) was designed to mimic the behavior of the fusogenic sequences of viral fusion proteins. GALA is a water-soluble peptide with an aperiodic conformation at neutral pH and becomes an amphipathic alpha-helix as the pH is lowered to 5.0 where it interacts with bilayers. Fluorescence energy transfer measurements indicated that GALA induced lipid mixing between phosphatidylcholine small unilamellar vesicles but not large unilamellar vesicles. This lipid mixing occurred only at pH 5.0 and not at neutral pH. Concomitant with lipid mixing, the vesicles increased in diameter from 500 to 750 to 1000 A as measured by dynamic light scattering and internal volume determination. GALA induced leakage of small molecules (Mr 450) at pH 5.0 was too rapid to permit detection of contents mixing. However, retention of larger molecules (Mr 4100) under the same conditions suggests that vesicle fusion is occurring. For a 100/1 lipid/peptide ratio all vesicles fused just once, whereas for a 50/1 ratio higher order fusion products formed. A mass action model gives good simulation of the kinetics of increase in fluorescence intensity and yields rate constants of aggregation and fusion. As the lipid to peptide ratio decreases from 100/1 to 50/1 both rate constants of aggregation and fusion increase, indicating that GALA is a genuine inducer of vesicle fusion. The presence of divalent cations which can alter GALAs conformation at pH 7.5 had little effect on its lipid mixing activity. GALA was modified by altering the sequence while keeping the amino acid composition constant or by shortening the sequence. These peptides did not have any lipid mixing activity nor did they induce an increase in vesicle size. Together, these results indicate that fusion of phosphatidylcholine small unilamellar vesicles induced by GALA requires both a peptide length greater than 16 amino acids as well as a defined topology of the hydrophobic residues.     

Gramicidin A induced fusion of large unilamellar dioleoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles and its relation to the induction of type II nonbilayer structures.

The fusogenic properties of gramicidin were investigated by using large unilamellar dioleoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles. It is shown that gramicidin induces aggregation and fusion of these vesicles at peptide to lipid molar ratios exceeding 1/100. Both intervesicle lipid mixing and mixing of aqueous contents were demonstrated. Furthermore, increased static and dynamic light scattering and a broadening of 31P NMR signals occurred concomitant with lipid mixing. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy revealed a moderate vesicle size increase. Lipid mixing is paralleled by changes in membrane permeability: small solutes like carboxyfluorescein and smaller dextrans, FD-4(Mr approximately 4000), rapidly (1-2 min) leak out of the vesicles. However, larger molecules like FD-10 and FD-17 (Mr approximately 9400 and 17,200) are retained in the vesicles for greater than 10 min after addition of gramicidin, thereby making detection of contents mixing during lipid mixing possible. At low lipid concentrations (5 microM), lipid mixing and leakage are time resolved: leakage of CF shows a lag phase of 1-3 min, whereas lipid mixing is immediate and almost reaches completion during this lag phase. It is therefore concluded that leakage, just as contents mixing, occurs subsequent to aggregation and lipid mixing. Although addition of gramicidin at a peptide/lipid molar ratio exceeding 1/50 eventually leads to hexagonal HII phase formation and a loss of vesicle contents, it is concluded that leakage during fusion (1-2 min) is not the result of HII phase formation but is due to local changes in lipid structure caused by precursors of this phase. By making use of gramicidin derivatives and different solvent conformations, it is shown that there is a close parallel between the ability of the peptide to induce the HII phase and its ability to induce intervesicle lipid mixing and leakage. It is suggested that gramicidin-induced fusion and HII phase formation share common intermediates.     

Ca2+-induced fusion of phosphatidylserine vesicles: mass action kinetic analysis of membrane lipid mixing and aqueous contents mixing

We have investigated the initial kinetics of Ca2+-induced aggregation and fusion of phosphatidylserine large unilamellar vesicles at 3, 5 and 10 mM Ca2+ and 15, 25 and 35 degrees C, utilizing the Tb/dipicolinate (Tb/DPA) assay for mixing of aqueous vesicle contents and a resonance energy transfer (RET) assay for mixing of bilayer lipids. Separate rate constants for vesicle aggregation as well as deaggregation and for the fusion reaction itself were determined by analysis of the data in terms of a mass action kinetic model. At 15 degrees C the aggregation rate constants for either assay are the same, indicating that at this temperature all vesicle aggregation events that result in lipid mixing lead to mixing of aqueous contents as well. By contrast, at 35 degrees C the RET aggregation rate constants are higher than the Tb/DPA aggregation rate constants, indicating a significant frequency of reversible vesicle aggregation events that do result in mixing of bilayer lipids, but not in mixing of aqueous vesicle contents. In any conditions, the RET fusion rate constants are considerably higher than the Tb/DPA fusion rate constants, demonstrating the higher tendency of the vesicles, once aggregated, to mix lipids than to mix aqueous contents. This possibly reflects the formation of an intermediate fusion structure. With increasing Ca2+ concentrations the RET and the Tb/DPA fusion rate constants increase in parallel with the respective aggregation rate constants. This suggests that fusion susceptibility is conferred on the vesicles during the process of vesicle aggregation and not solely as a result of the interaction of Ca2+ with isolated vesicles. Aggregation of the vesicles in the presence of Mg2+ produces neither mixing of aqueous vesicle contents nor mixing of bilayer lipids.     

Morphological changes induced by phospholipase C and by sphingomyelinase on large unilamellar vesicles: a cryo-transmission electron microscopy study of liposome fusion

Cryo-transmission electron microscopy has been applied to the study of the changes induced by phospholipase C on large unilamellar vesicles containing phosphatidylcholine, as well as to the action of sphingomyelinase on vesicles containing sphingomyelin. In both cases vesicle aggregation occurs as the earliest detectable phenomenon; later, each system behaves differently. Phospholipase C induces vesicle fusion through an intermediate consisting of aggregated and closely packed vesicles (the "honeycomb structure") that finally transforms into large spherical vesicles. The same honeycomb structure is also observed in the absence of enzyme when diacylglycerols are mixed with the other lipids in organic solution, before hydration. In this case the sample then evolves toward a cubic phase. The fact that the same honeycomb intermediate can lead to vesicle fusion (with enzyme-generated diacylglycerol) or to a cubic phase (when diacylglycerol is premixed with the lipids) is taken in support of the hypothesis according to which a highly curved lipid structure ("stalk") would act as a structural intermediate in membrane fusion. Sphingomyelinase produces complete leakage of vesicle aqueous contents and an increase in size of about one-third of the vesicles. A mechanism of vesicle opening and reassembling is proposed in this case.     

Modulation of membrane fusion by membrane fluidity: temperature dependence of divalent cation induced fusion of phosphatidylserine vesicles

We have investigated the temperature dependence of the fusion of phospholipid vesicles composed of pure bovine brain phosphatidylserine (PS) induced by Ca2+ or Mg2+. Aggregation of the vesicles was monitored by 90 degrees light-scattering measurements, fusion by the terbium/dipicolinic acid assay for mixing of internal aqueous volumes, and release of vesicle contents by carboxyfluorescein fluorescence. Membrane fluidity was determined by diphenylhexatriene fluorescence polarization measurements. Small unilamellar vesicles (SUV, diameter 250 A) or large unilamellar vesicles (LUV, diameter 1000 A) were used, and the measurements were done in 0.1 M NaCl at pH 7.4. The following results were obtained: (1) At temperatures (0-5 degrees C) below the phase transition temperature (Tc) of the lipid, LUV (PS) show very little fusion in the presence of Ca2+, although vesicle aggregation is rapid and extensive. With increasing temperature, the initial rate of fusion increases dramatically. Leakage of contents at the higher temperatures remains limited initially, but subsequently complete release occurs as a result of collapse of the internal aqueous space of the fusion products. (2) SUV (PS) are still in the fluid state down to 0 degree C, due to the effect of bilayer curvature, and fuse rapidly in the entire temperature range from 0 to 35 degrees C in the presence of Ca2+. The initial rate of leakage is low relative to the rate of fusion. At higher temperatures (15 degrees C and above), subsequent collapse of the vesicles' internal space causes complete release.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Cationic triple-chain amphiphiles facilitate vesicle fusion compared to double-chain or single-chain analogues

Cationic, triple-chain amphiphiles promote vesicle fusion more than structurally related double-chain or single-chain analogues. Two types of vesicle fusion experiments were conducted, mixing of oppositely charged vesicles and acid-triggered self-fusion of vesicles composed of cationic amphiphile and anionic cholesteryl hemisuccinate (CHEMS). Vesicle fusion was monitored by standard fluorescence assays for intermembrane lipid mixing, aqueous contents mixing and leakage. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to show that triple-chain amphiphiles lower the lamellar-inverse hexagonal (L_α-H_II) phase transition temperature for dipalmitoleoylphosphatidylethanolamine. The triple-chain amphiphiles may enhance vesicle fusion because they can stabilize the inversely curved membrane surfaces of the fusion intermediates, however, other factors such as extended conformation, packing defects, chain motion, or surface dehydration may also contribute. From the perspective of drug delivery, the results suggest that vesicles containing cationic, triple-chain amphiphiles (and cationic, cone-shaped amphiphiles in general) may be effective as fusogenic delivery capsules.     

Cationic triple-chain amphiphiles facilitate vesicle fusion compared to double-chain or single-chain analogues

Cationic, triple-chain amphiphiles promote vesicle fusion more than structurally related double-chain or single-chain analogues. Two types of vesicle fusion experiments were conducted, mixing of oppositely charged vesicles and acid-triggered self-fusion of vesicles composed of cationic amphiphile and anionic cholesteryl hemisuccinate (CHEMS). Vesicle fusion was monitored by standard fluorescence assays for intermembrane lipid mixing, aqueous contents mixing and leakage. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to show that triple-chain amphiphiles lower the lamellar-inverse hexagonal (L(alpha)-H(II)) phase transition temperature for dipalmitoleoylphosphatidylethanolamine. The triple-chain amphiphiles may enhance vesicle fusion because they can stabilize the inversely curved membrane surfaces of the fusion intermediates, however, other factors such as extended conformation, packing defects, chain motion, or surface dehydration may also contribute. From the perspective of drug delivery, the results suggest that vesicles containing cationic, triple-chain amphiphiles (and cationic, cone-shaped amphiphiles in general) may be effective as fusogenic delivery capsules.     

Leakage-free membrane fusion induced by the hydrolytic activity of PlcHR(2), a novel phospholipase C/sphingomyelinase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

PlcHR(2) is the paradigm member of a novel phospholipase C/phosphatase superfamily, with members in a variety of bacterial species. This paper describes the phospholipase C and sphingomyelinase activities of PlcHR(2) when the substrate is in the form of large unilamellar vesicles, and the subsequent effects of lipid hydrolysis on vesicle and bilayer stability, including vesicle fusion. PlcHR(2) cleaves phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin at equal rates, but is inactive on phospholipids that lack choline head groups. Calcium in the millimolar range does not modify in any significant way the hydrolytic activity of PlcHR(2) on choline-containing phospholipids. The catalytic activity of the enzyme induces vesicle fusion, as demonstrated by the concomitant observation of intervesicular total lipid mixing, inner monolayer-lipid mixing, and aqueous contents mixing. No release of vesicular contents is detected under these conditions. The presence of phosphatidylserine in the vesicle composition does not modify significantly PlcHR(2)-induced liposome aggregation, as long as Ca(2+) is present, but completely abolishes fusion, even in the presence of the cation. Each of the various enzyme-induced phenomena have their characteristic latency periods, that increase in the order lipid hydrolysis相似文献   

Pardaxin Permeabilizes Vesicles More Efficiently by Pore Formation than by Disruption

Pardaxin is a 33-amino-acid neurotoxin from the Red Sea Moses sole Pardachirus marmoratus, whose mode of action shows remarkable sensitivity to lipid chain length and charge, although the effect of pH is unclear. Here we combine optical spectroscopy and dye release experiments with laser scanning confocal microscopy and natural abundance ¹³C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance to provide a more complete picture of how pardaxin interacts with lipids. The kinetics and efficiency of release of entrapped calcein is highly sensitive to pH. In vesicles containing zwitterionic lipids (PC), release occurs most rapidly at low pH, whereas in vesicles containing 20% anionic lipid (PG), release occurs most rapidly at high pH. Pardaxin forms stable or transient pores in PC vesicles that allow release of contents without loss of vesicle integrity, whereas the inclusion of PG promotes total vesicle collapse. In agreement with this, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance reveals that pardaxin takes up a trans-membrane orientation in 14-O-PC/6-O-PC bicelles, whereas the inclusion of 14-0-PG restricts it to contacts with lipid headgroups, promoting membrane lysis. Pore formation in zwitterionic vesicles is more efficient than lysis of anionic vesicles, suggesting that electrostatic interactions may trap pardaxin in several suboptimal interconverting conformations on the membrane surface.     

Kinetics of Ca2+-induced fusion of cardiolipin-phosphatidylcholine vesicles: correlation between vesicle aggregation, bilayer destabilization, and fusion

We have investigated the kinetics of Ca2+-induced aggregation and fusion of large unilamellar vesicles composed of an equimolar mixture of bovine heart cardiolipin and dioleoylphosphatidylcholine. Mixing of bilayer lipids was monitored with an assay based on resonance energy transfer (RET) and mixing of aqueous vesicle contents with the Tb/dipicolinate assay. The results obtained with either assay were analyzed in terms of a mass action kinetic model, providing separate rate constants for vesicle aggregation and for the fusion reaction proper. At different Ca2+ concentrations, either at 25 degrees C or at 37 degrees C, aggregation rate constants derived from the data obtained with the RET assay were the same as those derived from the Tb/dipicolinate data, indicating that mixing of bilayer lipids occurred only during vesicle aggregation events that resulted in mixing of aqueous contents as well. At 25 degrees C, identical fusion rate constants were obtained with either assay, indicating that at this temperature the probability of lipid mixing and that of aqueous contents mixing, occurring after vesicle aggregation, were the same. The fusion rate constants for the RET assay increased more steeply with increasing temperature than the fusion rate constants derived from the Tb/dipicolinate data. As a result, at 37 degrees C the tendency of the vesicles, after aggregation, to mix lipids was slightly higher than their tendency to mix aqueous contents. The aggregation rate constants increased steeply with Ca2+ concentrations increasing in a narrow range (9.5-11 mM), indicating that, in addition to a Ca2+-dependent charge neutralization on the vesicle surface, structural changes in the lipid bilayer are involved in the aggregation process.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)