Influence of salt on the structure of DMPG studied by SAXS and optical microscopy

Aqueous dispersions of 50 mM dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) in the presence of increasing salt concentrations (2-500 mM NaCl) were studied by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and optical microscopy between 15 and 35 degrees C. SAXS data show the presence of a broad peak around q similar to 0.12 angstrom(-1) at all temperatures and conditions, arising from the electron density contrasts within the bilayer. Up to 100 mM NaCl, this broad peak is the main feature observed in the gel and fluid phases. At higher ionic strength (250-500 mM NaCl), an incipient lamellar repeat distance around d= 90-100 angstrom is detected superimposed to the bilayer form factor. the data with high salt were fit and showed that the emergent Bragg peak is due to loose multilamellar structures, with the local order vanishing after similar to 4d. Optical microscopy revealed that up to 20 mM NaCl, DMPG is arranged in submicroscopic vesicles. Giant (loose) multilamellar vesicles (MLVs) start to appear with 50 mM NaCl, although most lipids are arranged in small vesicles. As the ionic strength increases, more and denser MLVs are seen, up to 500 mM NaCl, when MLVs are the prevailing structure. the DLVO theory could account for the experimentally found interbilayer distances. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Inst Fis, BR-05315970 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Inst Fis, BR-05315970 São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Acid-base titration of melanocortin peptides: evidence of Trp rotational conformer interconversion

Abstract: Tryptophan time-resolved fluorescence was used to monitor acid-base titration properties of ␣-melanocyte stimulating hormone (␣-MSH 2, 6

Phocine distemper Virus: Current knowledge and future directions

Phocine distemper virus (PDV) was first recognized in 1988 following a massive epidemic in harbor and grey seals in north-western Europe. Since then, the epidemiology of infection in North Atlantic and Arctic pinnipeds has been investigated. In the western North Atlantic endemic infection in harp and grey seals predates the European epidemic, with relatively small, localized mortality events occurring primarily in harbor seals. By contrast, PDV seems not to have become established in European harbor seals following the 1988 epidemic and a second event of similar magnitude and extent occurred in 2002. PDV is a distinct species within the Morbillivirus genus with minor sequence variation between outbreaks over time. There is now mounting evidence of PDV-like viruses in the North Pacific/Western Arctic with serological and molecular evidence of infection in pinnipeds and sea otters. However, despite the absence of associated mortality in the region, there is concern that the virus may infect the large Pacific harbor seal and northern elephant seal populations or the endangered Hawaiian monk seals. Here, we review the current state of knowledge on PDV with particular focus on developments in diagnostics, pathogenesis, immune response, vaccine development, phylogenetics and modeling over the past 20 years

Raman characterization of singlewalled carbon nanotubes and PMMA-nanotubes composites

The Raman spectroscopy have allowed us to perform studies on singlewalled nanotubes (SWNT's) produced by following methods: electric arc, laser ablation and solar energy. As this characterization method provides a great deal of informations, we will present a comparison between the nanotubes produced by all these processes and the influence of some synthesis parameters. By using spin casting, we have produced thin films of PMMA-SWNT's for different concentrations. Then, we have characterized these new materials by Raman spectroscopy. The aim of these investigations is to get information on the possible interactions between these two materials. In particular, we have studied the evolution of the composites films spectra as a function of the nanotubes concentration in the polymer.This work has been fully supported by the European Community through its Training and Mobility of Researcher program under network contract : NAMITECH, ERBFMRX- CT96-0067 @GlZ-MIHT) and by the tiench CNRS program : ULTIMATECH.Peer reviewe

The peculiar thermo-structural behavior 93790 (2008) 930e938of the anionic lipid DMPG, Chem. Phys. Lipids 122

Abstract Aqueous dispersions of the anionic phospholipid dimyristoyl phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG), around 100 mM ionic strength, are known to exhibit a thermal behavior similar to that of the largely studied lipid dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC), which undergoes a gel to liquid crystalline phase transition at 23 8C, well characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and other methods. However, at low ionic strength, DMPG has been shown to present a large gel Á/fluid transition region, ranging from 18 to 35 8C. This intermediate phase is optically transparent and characterized by a continuous change in membrane packing. Structural properties of the DMPG gel Á/ fluid transition region will be discussed, based on results obtained by several techniques: electron spin resonance (ESR) of spin labels at the membrane surface and intercalated at different depths in the bilayer; light scattering; DSC; small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS); and fluorescence spectroscopy of probes in the bilayer.

Structural effect of cationic amphiphiles in diacetylenic photopolymerizable membranes

Liposomes have been an excellent option as drug delivery systems, since they are able of incorporating lipophobic and/or lipophilic drugs, reduce drug side effects, increase drug targeting, and control delivery. Also, in the last years, their use reached the field of gene therapy, as non-viral vectors for DNA delivery. As a strategy to increase system stability, the use of polymerizable phospholipids has been proposed in liposomal formulations. In this work, through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and electron spin resonance (ESR) of spin labels incorporated into the bilayers, we structurally characterize liposomes formed by a mixture of the polymerizable lipid diacetylenic phosphatidylcholine 1,2-bis(10,12-tricosadiynoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DC8,9PC) and the zwitterionic lipid 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3- phosphocholine (DMPC), in a 1:1 molar ratio. It is shown here that the polymerization efficiency of the mixture (c.a. 60%) is much higher than that of pure DC8,9PC bilayers (c.a. 20%). Cationic amphiphiles (CA) were added, in a final molar ratio of 1:1:0.2 (DC8,9PC:DMPC:CA), to make the liposomes possible carriers for genetic material, due to their electrostatic interaction with negatively charged DNA. Three amphiphiles were tested, 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimetylammonium-propane (DOTAP), stearylamine (SA) and trimetyl (2-miristoyloxietyl) ammonium chloride (MCL), and the systems were studied before and after UV irradiation. Interestingly, the presence of the cationic amphiphiles increased liposomes polymerization, MCL displaying the strongest effect. Considering the different structural effects the three cationic amphiphiles cause in DC8,9PC bilayers, there seem to be a correlation between the degree of DC8,9PC polymerization and the packing of the membrane at the temperature it is irradiated (gel phase). Moreover, at higher temperatures, in the bilayer fluid phase, more polymerized membranes are significantly more rigid. Considering that the structure and stability of liposomes at different temperatures can be crucial for DNA binding and delivery, we expect the study presented here contributes to the production of new carrier systems with potential applications in gene therapy.Fil: Temprana, Carlos Facundo. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología. Laboratorio de Biomembranas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Duarte, Evandro L.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Femia, Lis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular; ArgentinaFil: Alonso, Silvia del Valle. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular; ArgentinaFil: Lamy, M. Teresa. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasi

Structural characterization of diC14-amidine, a pH-sensitive cationic lipid used for transfection

The structure of N-t-butyl-N′-tetradecyl-3- tetradecylaminopropionamidine (diC14-amidine) cationic vesicles, used for transfection, was investigated at different pH values and ionic strengths, through the analysis of the electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra of spin labels. Phospholipid derivatives, spin labeled at the 5th and 16th C-atoms along the hydrocarbon chain, incorporated in diC14-amidine bilayers, show that the bilayer structure is highly sensitive to the pH value of the medium, due to the two titratable groups present in the amphiphile. Compared with samples at higher pH values, the double charged diC14-amidine at pH 3 presents a rather non-organized bilayer gel phase, and a much lower gel-fluid temperature transition, in accord with a strong headgroup electrostatic repulsion. In addition, the structure was found to be highly dependent on the ionic strength of the medium. However, pH 3 diC14-amidine bilayer, in the fluid phase, was found to be slightly more closely packed than those at pH 7.4 or 9.0, which are less charged. Parallel to that, the larger isotropic hyperfine splitting measured for nitroxides in the center of the pH 3 diC 14-amidine bilayer suggests a higher membrane polarity for the highly charged low pH sample. © 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe