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Mechanical Properties of Nanoscopic Lipid Domains

Journal Article · · Journal of the American Chemical Society
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5b08894· OSTI ID:1265834
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [3];  [4];  [4];  [3];  [5];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [6];  [1]
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Joint Inst. for Neutron Sciences, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
  3. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  4. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Joint Inst. for Neutron Sciences, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  5. Joint Inst. for Neutron Sciences, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  6. Julich Research Centre (Germany). Julich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS)
We found that the lipid raft hypothesis presents insight into how the cell membrane organizes proteins and lipids to accomplish its many vital functions. Yet basic questions remain about the physical mechanisms that lead to the formation, stability, and size of lipid rafts. Thus, much interest has been generated in the study of systems that contain similar lateral heterogeneities, or domains. In the current work we present an experimental approach that is capable of isolating the bending moduli of lipid domains. This is accomplished using neutron scattering and its unique sensitivity to the isotopes of hydrogen. Combining contrast matching approaches with inelastic neutron scattering, we isolate the bending modulus of ~13 nm diameter domains residing in 60 nm unilamellar vesicles, whose lipid composition mimics the mammalian plasma membrane outer leaflet. Importantly, the bending modulus of the nanoscopic domains differs from the modulus of the continuous phase surrounding them. Moreover, from additional structural measurements and all-atom simulations, we also determine that nanoscopic domains are in-register across the bilayer leaflets. Taken together, these results inform a number of theoretical models of domain/raft formation and highlight the fact that mismatches in bending modulus must be accounted for when explaining the emergence of lateral heterogeneities in lipid systems and biological membranes.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Spallation Neutron Source
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1265834
Journal Information:
Journal of the American Chemical Society, Journal Name: Journal of the American Chemical Society Journal Issue: 50 Vol. 137; ISSN 0002-7863
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (18)

Composition Fluctuations in Lipid Bilayers journal December 2017
Encoding biological recognition in a bicomponent cell-membrane mimic text January 2019
A Rationale for Mesoscopic Domain Formation in Biomembranes journal September 2018
The biophysical properties of plasmalogens originating from their unique molecular architecture journal August 2017
High-resolution neutron spectroscopy using backscattering and neutron spin-echo spectrometers in soft and hard condensed matter journal January 2020
Lipid bilayer thickness determines cholesterol's location in model membranes journal January 2016
Curvature-driven adsorption of cationic nanoparticles to phase boundaries in multicomponent lipid bilayers journal January 2019
Structure of lateral heterogeneities in a coarse-grained model for multicomponent membranes journal January 2019
Scaling of lipid membrane rigidity with domain area fraction journal January 2019
Membrane softening by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs investigated by neutron spin echo journal January 2019
Phase diagrams of multicomponent lipid vesicles: Effects of finite size and spherical geometry journal November 2018
Encoding biological recognition in a bicomponent cell-membrane mimic journal February 2019
Recent applications of synchrotron radiation and neutrons in the study of soft matter journal February 2017
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Neutron scattering in the biological sciences: progress and prospects journal December 2018
The in vivo structure of biological membranes and evidence for lipid domains journal May 2017
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