Key Role of Polyphosphoinositides in Dynamics of Fusogenic Nuclear Membrane Vesicles

The role of phosphoinositides has been thoroughly described in many signalling and membrane trafficking events but their function as modulators of membrane structure and dynamics in membrane fusion has not been investigated. We have reconstructed models that mimic the composition of nuclear envelope precursor membranes with naturally elevated amounts of phosphoinositides. These fusogenic membranes (membrane vesicle 1(MV1) and nuclear envelope remnants (NER) are critical for the assembly of the nuclear envelope. Phospholipids, cholesterol, and polyphosphoinositides, with polyunsaturated fatty acid chains that were identified in the natural nuclear membranes by lipid mass spectrometry, have been used to reconstruct complex model membranes mimicking nuclear envelope precursor membranes. Structural and dynamic events occurring in the membrane core and at the membrane surface were monitored by solid-state deuterium and phosphorus NMR. “MV1-like” (PC∶PI∶PIP∶PIP2, 30∶20∶18∶12, mol%) membranes that exhibited high levels of PtdIns, PtdInsP and PtdInsP2 had an unusually fluid membrane core (up to 20% increase, compared to membranes with low amounts of phosphoinositides to mimic the endoplasmic reticulum). “NER-like” (PC∶CH∶PI∶PIP∶PIP2, 28∶42∶16∶7∶7, mol%) membranes containing high amounts of both cholesterol and phosphoinositides exhibited liquid-ordered phase properties, but with markedly lower rigidity (10–15% decrease). Phosphoinositides are the first lipids reported to counterbalance the ordering effect of cholesterol. At the membrane surface, phosphoinositides control the orientation dynamics of other lipids in the model membranes, while remaining unchanged themselves. This is an important finding as it provides unprecedented mechanistic insight into the role of phosphoinositides in membrane dynamics. Biological implications of our findings and a model describing the roles of fusogenic membrane vesicles are proposed

Ecological interactions in a shallow sand-pit lake (Lake Créteil, Parisian Basin, France): a modelling approach

A large data set (n = 154) of phytoplankton production and biomass in relation to physico-chemical environmental factors was collected from 1979 to 1986 in a recently created sand-pit lake (Paris suburbs). These data are well suited to interpret the oligotrophication observed along the 8 years period, characterized by a regular decrease in chlorophyll (from 16 to 4 μg l-1 as annual averages). A model describing the ecological functioning of the lake has been established. Biological processes related to phyto-, bacterio- and zooplankton as well as sediment-water interactions, are described within several submodels. Most of the parameters involved were determined by in situ measurements in this or similar environments The model provides a good simulation of observed data and confirms that the reduction of nutrient loading, resulting from the diversion - in 1981 - of a sewer previously discharging into the lake, was responsible for the oligotrophication of the system. The model allows to explore the response of planktonic compartments accross a gradient of nutrient loading. The role of hydrology is also tested. The systematic run of the model with and without zooplankton leads to a better understanding of top-down control. © 1994 Kluwer Academic Publishers.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe