Control of artificial membrane fusion in physiological ionic solutions beyond the limits of electroformation.
Nat Commun
; 15(1): 4524, 2024 May 28.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38806492
ABSTRACT
Membrane fusion, merging two lipid bilayers, is crucial for fabricating artificial membrane structures. Over the past 40 years, in contrast to precise and controllable membrane fusion in-vivo through specific molecules such as SNAREs, controlling the fusion in-vitro while fabricating artificial membrane structures in physiological ionic solutions without fusion proteins has been a challenge, becoming a significant obstacle to practical applications. We present an approach consisting of an electric field and a few kPa hydraulic pressure as an additional variable to physically control the fusion, enabling tuning of the shape and size of the 3D freestanding lipid bilayers in physiological ionic solutions. Mechanical model analysis reveals that pressure-induced parallel/normal tensions enhance fusion among membranes in the microwell. In-vitro peptide-membrane assay, mimicking vesicular transport via pressure-assisted fusion, and stability of 38 days with in-chip pressure control via pore size-regulated hydrogel highlight the potential for diverse biological applications.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Bicamadas Lipídicas
/
Fusão de Membrana
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article