Amyloid-beta peptide (25-35) triggers a reorganization of lipid membranes driven by temperature changes.

The amyloid-beta peptide (Aß) is considered a key factor in Alzheimer's disease (AD) ever since the discovery of the disease. The understanding of its damaging influence has however shifted recently from large fibrils observed in the inter-cellular environment to the small oligomers interacting with a cell membrane. We studied the effect of temperature on the latter interactions by evaluating the structural characteristics of zwitterionic phosphatidylcholine (PC) membranes with incorporated Aß25-35 peptide. By means of small angle neutron scattering (SANS), we have observed for the first time a spontaneous reformation of extruded unilamellar vesicles (EULVs) to discoidal bicelle-like structures (BLSs) and small unilamellar vesicles (SULVs). These changes in the membrane self-organization happen during the thermodynamic phase transitions of lipids and only in the presence of the peptide. We interpret the dramatic changes in the membrane's overall shape with parallel changes in its thickness as the Aß25-35 triggered membrane damage and a consequent reorganization of its structure. The suggested process is consistent with an action of separate peptides or small size peptide oligomers rather than the result of large Aß fibrils.

Revealing the mechanism of passive transport in lipid bilayers via phonon-mediated nanometre-scale density fluctuations.

The passive transport of molecules through a cell membrane relies on thermal motions of the lipids. However, the nature of transmembrane transport and the precise mechanism remain elusive and call for a comprehensive study of phonon excitations. Here we report a high resolution inelastic X-ray scattering study of the in-plane phonon excitations in 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine above and below the main transition temperature. In the gel phase, for the first time, we observe low-frequency transverse modes, which exhibit a phonon gap when the lipid transitions into the fluid phase. We argue that the phonon gap signifies the formation of short-lived nanometre-scale lipid clusters and transient pores, which facilitate the passive molecular transport across the bilayer plane. Our findings suggest that the phononic motion of the hydrocarbon tails provides an effective mechanism of passive transport, and illustrate the importance of the collective dynamics of biomembranes.