Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation Monitoring (QCM-D): Preparing Functionalized Lipid Layers for the Study of Complex Protein-Ligand Interactions

Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) is one of the most widely used techniques for the deposition of lipid layers and provides a useful tool for protein-ligand analysis. By using functionalized lipids, for example, with nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) or biotin, one can couple a molecule to the surface to investigate ligand interactions. Using lipid layers in this way allows for the analysis of complex binding events such as conformational changes, fibrillation, and hierarchical clustering on the surface, which is difficult to interpret with conventional surface sensor techniques. Deposition of lipids and subsequent molecular interactions are easily monitored using both the frequency and the dissipation, which have distinct features in bilayer formation and make QCM-D the ideal technique to use. Here we describe the formation of biotinylated lipid bilayers using two different types of lipids and the subsequent addition of avidin, which can then be used as a basis for linking biotinylated molecules to the surface. These protocols can be adapted to use other lipid moieties and linking chemistries.