Young modulus of supported lipid membranes containing milk sphingomyelin in the gel, fluid or liquid-ordered phase, determined using AFM force spectroscopy.

The biological membrane surrounding milk fat globules (MFGM) exhibits lateral phase separation of lipids, interpreted as gel or liquid-ordered phase sphingomyelin-rich (milk SM) domains dispersed in a fluid continuous lipid phase. The objective of this study was to investigate whether changes in the phase state of milk SM-rich domains induced by temperature (T < Tm or T > Tm) or cholesterol affected the Young modulus of the lipid membrane. Supported lipid bilayers composed of MFGM polar lipids, milk SM or milk SM/cholesterol (50:50 mol) were investigated at 20 °C and 50 °C using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and force spectroscopy.

Mechanical properties of milk sphingomyelin bilayer membranes in the gel phase: Effects of naturally complex heterogeneity, saturation and acyl chain length investigated on liposomes using AFM.

Sphingomyelin (SM) molecules are major lipid components of plasma membranes that are involved in functional domains. Among natural SMs, that found in milk (milk-SM) exhibits important acyl chain heterogeneities in terms of length and saturation, which could affect the biophysical properties and biological functions of the milk fat globule membrane or of liposome carriers. In this study, the thermotropic and mechanical properties of milk-SM, synthetic C16:0-SM, C24:0-SM and the binary mixtures C16:0-SM/C24:0-SM (50:50% mol) and C24:0-SM/C24:1-SM (95:5% mol) bilayer membranes were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry and atomic force microscopy, respectively.

Mechanical Properties of Membranes Composed of Gel-Phase or Fluid-Phase Phospholipids Probed on Liposomes by Atomic Force Spectroscopy.

In many liposome applications, the nanomechanical properties of the membrane envelope are essential to ensure, e.g., physical stability, protection, or penetration into tissues.

Gel-gel phase separation within milk sphingomyelin domains revealed at the nanoscale using atomic force microscopy.

The milk sphingomyelin (MSM) is involved in the formation of ordered lipid domains in the biological milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), where it accounts for about 30%wt of the polar lipids. Moreover, MSM exhibits a large variety in saturated acyl chain lengths (from C16:0 to C24:0-SM) compared to other natural sphingomyelins, which may impact the packing of MSM molecular species in the gel phase domains and the topography of the MFGM. To investigate this, supported lipid bilayers of synthetic sphingomyelins or of MSM-containing mixtures, including a MFGM polar lipid extract, were imaged at temperatures below the Tm of MSM (i.

Lipid domains in the milk fat globule membrane: Dynamics investigated in situ in milk in relation to temperature and time.

The microstructure of the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) is still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the dynamics of the MFGM at the surface of milk fat globules in relation to temperature and time, and in relation to the respective lipid compositions of the MFGM from bovine, goat and sheep milks. In-situ structural investigations were performed using confocal microscopy.