Lipid membranes are extremely stable envelopes allowing cells to survive in various environments and to maintain desired internal composition. Membrane permeation through formation of transversal pores requires substantial external stress. Practically, pores are usually formed by application of lateral tension or transmembrane voltage. Using the same approach as was used for obtaining continuous trajectory of pore formation in the stress-less membrane in the previous article, we now consider the process of pore formation under the external stress. The waiting time to pore formation proved a non-monotonous function of the lateral tension, dropping from infinity at zero tension to a minimum at the tension of several millinewtons per meter. Transmembrane voltage, on the contrary, caused the waiting time to decrease monotonously. Analysis of pore formation trajectories for several lipid species with different spontaneous curvatures and elastic moduli under various external conditions provided instrumental insights into the mechanisms underlying some experimentally observed phenomena.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5624950PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-12749-xDOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

pore formation
20
external stress
12
lateral tension
8
transmembrane voltage
8
waiting time
8
pore
5
formation
5
formation lipid
4
lipid membrane
4
membrane energy
4

Similar Publications

The permeability transition (PT) is a permeability increase of the mitochondrial inner membrane causing mitochondrial swelling in response to matrix Ca. The PT is mediated by regulated channel(s), the PT pore(s) (PTP), which can be generated by at least two components, adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT) and ATP synthase. Whether these provide independent permeation pathways remains to be established.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) membranes, with advantageous features of versatile chemistry and structures, are driving the development of advanced nanofiltration (NF) membranes with exceptional performance. While developing a printing method holds great promise for the eventual mass production of these membranes, reports on the printing method and the underlying mechanisms of membrane formation are currently scarce. Herein, we develop an aerosol-assisted printing (AAP) system for fabricating PEM NF membranes with highly tunable separation characteristics.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We present two innovative approaches to investigate the dynamics of membrane fusion and the strength of protein-membrane interactions. The first approach employs pore-spanning membranes (PSMs), which allow for the observation of protein-assisted fusion processes. The second approach utilizes colloidal probe microscopy with membrane-coated probes with reconstituted proteins.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) can be employed to investigate membrane lipid mixing of vacuoles in live budding yeast cells and distinguish the fused, hemi-fused or non-fused states of these organelles under physiological conditions. Here, we describe a protocol for labeling the outer and inner leaflets of vacuoles in live cells that allow to detect hemifusion intermediates and, thus, identify components necessary for fusion pore opening.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study aims to utilize secondary aluminum dross waste to synthesize Fe-Al layered double hydroxide (Fe-Al LDH) for efficient adsorption of arsenic from drinking water. The synthesis process was based on a multi-step hydrometallurgical approach, in which the aluminum content in the waste was first converted to sodium aluminate. This was followed by the transformation into Fe-Al LDH through a series of processes, including gelation, sol formation, simultaneous precipitation, and aging.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!