Membrane Structure-Function Insights from Asymmetric Lipid Vesicles

Accounts of Chemical Research
Erwin London

Abstract

The lipid bilayer, together with embedded proteins, is the central structure in biomembranes. While artificial lipid bilayers are useful to model natural membranes, they are generally symmetric, with the same membrane lipid composition in each lipid monolayer (leaflet). In contrast, natural membranes are often asymmetric, with different lipids in each leaflet. To prepare asymmetric lipid vesicles, we developed cyclodextrin-catalyzed phospholipid exchange procedures. The basic method is that an excess of vesicles with one set of lipids (the donor vesicles) is mixed with a second set of vesicles (acceptor vesicles) with a different set of lipids. Cyclodextrin is introduced into the external aqueous solution, so that lipids in the outer leaflet of the vesicles bind to it and are shuttled between the vesicles. At equilibrium, the lipids in the outer leaflet of the acceptor vesicles are replaced by those from the donor vesicles. The exchanged acceptor vesicles are then isolated. Asymmetric vesicles are versatile in terms of vesicle sizes and lipid compositions that can be prepared. Measuring asymmetry is often difficult. A variety of assays can be used to measure the extent of asymmetry, but most are specific for one particular memb...Continue Reading

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Citations

Apr 21, 2020·Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP·Jeremias SiboldClaudia Steinem
Apr 22, 2020·Cancer Metastasis Reviews·Tore SkotlandKirsten Sandvig
Mar 7, 2021·Membranes·Ekaitz Errasti-MurugarrenManuel Palacín
Jul 28, 2020·Biophysical Journal·Johnna Wellman St ClairErwin London
Sep 19, 2019·Journal of the American Chemical Society·Siya Zhang, Xubo Lin
Jul 7, 2020·Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids·Yangmingyue LiuUrsula Perez-Salas
Oct 20, 2020·Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids·Bingchen Li, Erwin London
Nov 27, 2021·Faraday Discussions·Patricia Bassereau

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