Photopolymerization
of Polydiacetylene in Hybrid Liposomes:
Effect of Polymerization on Stability and Response to Pathogenic Bacterial
Toxins
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Abstract
Liposomes
containing lipids and polydiacetylene (PDA) are hybrid
systems encompassing both a fluid phospholipid membrane and a polymer
scaffold (PDA). However, the biophysical role of PDA in such liposomes
is not well understood. In this report, we studied the effects of
photopolymerization of PDA on the stability of lipid–PDA liposomes,
and their sensitivity to selected purified toxins and bacterial supernatants,
using a fluorescence assay. Of the three different types of liposomes
with variable lipid chain lengths that were chosen, the degree of
polymerization had a significant impact on the long-term stability,
and response, to external microbial exotoxins secreted by pathogenic
bacteria, namely, <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>. The degree of polymerization of
TCDA played an important role in lipid-chain-length-dependent stabilization
of lipid–PDA liposomes, as well as in their response to bacterial
toxins of <i>S. aureus</i> and <i>P. aeruginosa</i>
