Light-Controlled Lipid Interaction and Membrane Organization in Photolipid Bilayer Vesicles

Langmuir. 2018 Nov 6;34(44):13368-13374. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b03241. Epub 2018 Oct 22.

Abstract

Controlling lateral interactions between lipid molecules in a bilayer membrane to guide membrane organization and domain formation is a key factor for studying and emulating membrane functionality in synthetic biological systems. Here, we demonstrate an approach to reversibly control lipid organization, domain formation, and membrane stiffness of phospholipid bilayer membranes using the photoswitchable phospholipid azo-PC. azo-PC contains an azobenzene group in the sn2 acyl chain that undergoes reversible photoisomerization on illumination with UV-A and visible light. We demonstrate that the concentration of the photolipid molecules and also the assembly and disassembly of photolipids into lipid domains can be monitored by UV-vis spectroscopy because of a blue shift induced by photolipid aggregation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Azo Compounds / chemical synthesis
  • Azo Compounds / chemistry
  • Azo Compounds / radiation effects
  • Isomerism
  • Lipid Bilayers / chemistry*
  • Lipid Bilayers / radiation effects
  • Membrane Microdomains / radiation effects*
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Phosphatidylcholines / chemical synthesis
  • Phosphatidylcholines / chemistry
  • Phosphatidylcholines / radiation effects
  • Ultraviolet Rays
  • Unilamellar Liposomes / chemistry*
  • Unilamellar Liposomes / radiation effects

Substances

  • Azo Compounds
  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Phosphatidylcholines
  • Unilamellar Liposomes
  • 1,2-diphytanoylphosphatidylcholine