Physisorbed Polymer-Tethered Lipid Bilayer with Lipopolymer Gradient

Materials

Yu-Hung Lin¹  Daniel E. Minner¹  Vincent L. Herring¹ 

[1] Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 402 N Blackford St., Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; E-Mails:

关键词: gradient bilayer;    Langmuir-Blodgett transfer;    lipopolymer;    polymer-tethered lipid membrane;    Epifluorescence;    atomic force microscopy;    buckling structure;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ma5112243

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Physisorbed polymer-tethered lipid bilayers consisting of phospholipids and lipopolymers represent an attractive planar model membrane platform, in which bilayer fluidity and membrane elastic properties can be regulated through lipopolymer molar concentration. Herein we report a method for the fabrication of such a planar model membrane system with a lateral gradient of lipopolymer density. In addition, a procedure is described, which leads to a sharp boundary between regions of low and high lipopolymer molar concentrations. Resulting gradients and sharp boundaries are visualized on the basis of membrane buckling structures at elevated lipopolymer concentrations using epifluorescence microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Furthermore, results from spot photobleaching experiments are presented, which provide insight into the lipid lateral fluidity in these model membrane architectures. The presented experimental data highlight a planar, solid-supported membrane characterized by fascinating length scale-dependent dynamics and elastic properties with remarkable parallels to those observed in cellular membranes.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2012 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.