Diet-Induced Obesity Modulates Close-Packing of Triacylglycerols in Lipid Droplets of Adipose Tissue.

Adipose-derived lipid droplets (LDs) are rich in triacylglycerols (TAGs), which regulate essential cellular processes, such as energy storage. Although TAG accumulation and LD expansion in adipocytes occur during obesity, how LDs dynamically package TAGs in response to excessive nutrients remains elusive. Here, we found that LD lipidomes display a remarkable increase in TAG acyl chain saturation under calorie-dense diets, turning them conducive to close-packing.

Multiscale compression-induced restructuring of stacked lipid bilayers: From buckling delamination to molecular packing.

Lipid membranes in nature adapt and reconfigure to changes in composition, temperature, humidity, and mechanics. For instance, the oscillating mechanical forces on lung cells and alveoli influence membrane synthesis and structure during breathing. However, despite advances in the understanding of lipid membrane phase behavior and mechanics of tissue, there is a critical knowledge gap regarding the response of lipid membranes to micromechanical forces.

Pathological cardiolipin-promoted membrane hemifusion stiffens pulmonary surfactant membranes.

Lower tract respiratory diseases such as pneumonia are pervasive, affecting millions of people every year. The stability of the air/water interface in alveoli and the mechanical performance during the breathing cycle are regulated by the structural and elastic properties of pulmonary surfactant membranes (PSMs). Respiratory dysfunctions and pathologies often result in, or are caused by, impairment of the PSMs.

Graphene-based sensing of oxygen transport through pulmonary membranes.

Lipid-protein complexes are the basis of pulmonary surfactants covering the respiratory surface and mediating gas exchange in lungs. Cardiolipin is a mitochondrial lipid overexpressed in mammalian lungs infected by bacterial pneumonia. In addition, increased oxygen supply (hyperoxia) is a pathological factor also critical in bacterial pneumonia.

Lipid-based Liquid Crystalline Films and Solutions for the Delivery of Cargo to Cells.

A major challenge in the delivery of cargo (genes and/or drugs) to cells using nanostructured vehicles is the ability to safely penetrate plasma membranes by escaping the endosome before degradation, later releasing the payload into the cytoplasm or organelle of interest. Lipids are a class of bio-compatible molecules that self-assemble into a variety of liquid crystalline constructs. Most of these materials can be used to encapsulate drugs, proteins, and nucleic acids to deliver them safely into various cell types.