Radial sizing of lipid nanotubes using membrane displacement analysis

Natalia Stepanyants; Gavin D M Jeffries; Owe Orwar; Aldo Jesorka

doi:10.1021/nl203983e

Radial sizing of lipid nanotubes using membrane displacement analysis

Nano Lett. 2012 Mar 14;12(3):1372-8. doi: 10.1021/nl203983e. Epub 2012 Feb 24.

Authors

Natalia Stepanyants¹, Gavin D M Jeffries, Owe Orwar, Aldo Jesorka

Affiliation

¹ Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296 Göteborg, Sweden.

Abstract

We report a novel method for the measurement of lipid nanotube radii. Membrane translocation is monitored between two nanotube-connected vesicles, during the expansion of a receiving vesicle, by observing a photobleached region of the nanotube. We elucidate nanotube radii, extracted from SPE vesicles, enabling quantification of membrane composition and lamellarity. Variances of nanotube radii were measured, showing a growth of 40-56 nm, upon increasing cholesterol content from 0 to 20%.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching / methods*
Lipids / chemistry*
Macromolecular Substances / chemistry
Materials Testing
Membranes, Artificial*
Molecular Conformation
Motion
Nanotubes / chemistry*
Nanotubes / ultrastructure*
Particle Size
Surface Properties

Substances

Lipids
Macromolecular Substances
Membranes, Artificial