Promoted Aggregation of Aβ on Lipid Bilayers in an Open Flowing System.

Self-assembly of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides in nonequilibrium, flowing conditions is associated with pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. We examined the role of biologically relevant, nonequilibrium, flowing conditions in the desorption, diffusion, and integration of Aβ-lipid assemblies at the membrane surface using a microchannel connected with microsyringes. A 1,2-dimyristoyl--glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) bilayer was formed on a glass substrate and incubated in Aβ solution under either a quiescent condition (no flow) or flowing condition for 24 h.

Interplay between two radical species in the formation of periodic patterns during a polymerization reaction.

Periodic patterns are ubiquitous in nature and spontaneously form on molecular to cosmic scales by the interplay between reaction and diffusion. Understanding how these patterns form is important to understand the construction rules of nature and apply them in the synthesis of functional artificial materials. This work clarifies how radical (R˙) species affect pattern formation in periodic precipitated and depleted zones during a polymerization process in an agarose gel.

Programmable Design of Self-Organized Patterns through a Precipitation Reaction.

Nature uses self-organized spatiotemporal patterns to construct systems with robustness and flexibility. Furthermore, understanding the principles underlying self-organization in nature enables programmable design of artificial patterns driven by chemical energy. The related mechanisms are however not clearly understood because most of these patterns are formed in reaction-diffusion (RD) systems consisting of intricate interaction between diffusion and reaction.

Role of Oxidized Lipids in Permeation of HO Through a Lipid Membrane: Molecular Mechanism of an Inhibitor to Promoter Switch.

HO permeation through a cell membrane significantly affects living organisms, and permeation is controlled by the physico-chemical nature of lipids and other membrane components. We investigated the molecular relationship between HO permeation and lipid membrane structure using three oxidized lipids. POVPC and PazePC act as intra- and inter-molecular permeation promoters, respectively; however, their underlying mechanisms were different.