36 research outputs found
A swollen phase observed between the liquid-crystalline phase and the interdigitated phase induced by pressure and/or adding ethanol in DPPC aqueous solution
A swollen phase, in which the mean repeat distance of lipid bilayers is
larger than the other phases, is found between the liquid-crystalline phase and
the interdigitated gel phase in DPPC aqueous solution. Temperature, pressure
and ethanol concentration dependences of the structure were investigated by
small-angle neutron scattering, and a bending rigidity of lipid bilayers was by
neutron spin echo. The nature of the swollen phase is similar to the anomalous
swelling reported previously. However, the temperature dependence of the mean
repeat distance and the bending rigidity of lipid bilayers are different. This
phase could be a precursor to the interdigitated gel phase induced by pressure
and/or adding ethanol.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure
Membrane fluidity matters: Hyperthermia from the aspects of lipids and membranes
Hyperthermia is a promising treatment modality for cancer in combination both with radio- and chemotherapy. In spite of its great therapeutic potential, the underlying molecular mechanisms still remain to be clarified. Due to lipid imbalances and 'membrane defects' most of the tumour cells possess elevated membrane fluidity. However, further increasing membrane fluidity to sensitise to chemo-or radiotherapy could have some other effects. In fact, hyperfluidisation of cell membrane induced by membrane fluidiser initiates a stress response as the heat shock protein response, which may modulate positively or negatively apoptotic cell death. Overviewing some recent findings based on a technology allowing direct imaging of lipid rafts in live cells and lipidomics, novel aspects of the intimate relationship between the 'membrane stress' of tumour cells and the cellular heat shock response will be highlighted. Our findings lend support to both the importance of membrane remodelling and the release of lipid signals initiating stress protein response, which can operate in tandem to control the extent of the ultimate cellular thermosensitivity. Overall, we suggest that the fluidity variable of membranes should be used as an independent factor for predicting the efficacy of combinational cancer therapies
Small-angle neutron scattering from multilamellar lipid bilayers: Theory, model, and experiment
Small angle x-ray scattering structures of phospholipase. An activity in multilameller lipid bilayers
Structural studies on equimolar suspensions of palmetic acid and 1-Lysco phosphaticlylcholine
Small angle and wide angle x-ray scattering studies on equimolar suspensions of palmetic acid (PA) and 1-Lyso-Palmetoyl.phosphaticlylcholine (Lysco-PPC)
Lag-burst kinetics in phospholipase A2 hydrolysis of DPPC bilayersvisualized by atomic force microscopy
AbstractThe lag-burst phenomenon in the phospholipase A2 mediated hydrolysis of phospholipid bilayers is for the first time demonstrated in an atomic force microscopy (AFM) study. Simultaneous AFM measurements of the degree of bilayer degradation and the physical-chemical state of the membrane reveals growing nanoscale indentations in the membrane during the lag phase. It is argued that these indentations are domains of hydrolysis products (lysoPC/PC) which eventually trigger the burst. The rate of the rapid hydrolysis following the burst is found to be proportional to the length of the edge between membrane adsorbed and desorbed to the mica base. The observed maximal rate of membrane degradation is approx. 0.2 mmol lipid/min/mol lipase in solution