Important cellular events such as
division require drastic changes
in the shape of the membrane. These remodeling processes can be triggered
by the binding of specific proteins or by changes in membrane composition
and are linked to phospholipid metabolism for which dedicated enzymes,
named phospholipases, are responsible. Here wide-field fluorescence
microscopy is used to visualize shape changes induced by the action
of phospholipase A1 on dye-labeled supported membranes of POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoly-<i>sn</i>-glycero-3-phosphocholine). Time-lapse imaging demonstrates
that layers either shrink and disappear or fold and collapse into
vesicles. These vesicles can undergo further transformations such
as budding, tubulation, and pearling within 5 min of formation. Using
dye-labeled phospholipases, we can monitor the presence of the enzyme
at specific positions on the membrane as the shape transformations
occur. Furthermore, incorporating the products of hydrolysis into
POPC membranes is shown to induce transformations similar to those
observed for enzyme action. The results suggest that phospholipase-mediated
hydrolysis plays an important role in membrane transformations by
altering the membrane composition, and a model is proposed for membrane
curvature based on the presence and shape of hydrolysis products