Membrane tension plays a crucial role in various fundamental cellular processes,with one notable example being the T cell-mediated elimination of tumor cells through perforin-induced membrane perforation by amplifying...Membrane tension plays a crucial role in various fundamental cellular processes,with one notable example being the T cell-mediated elimination of tumor cells through perforin-induced membrane perforation by amplifying cellular force.However,the mechanisms governing the regulation of biomolecular activities at the cell interface by membrane tension remain elusive.In this study,we investigated the correlation between membrane tension and poration activity of melittin,a prototypical pore-forming peptide,using dynamic giant unilamellar vesicle leakage assays combined with flickering tension analysis,molecular dynamics simulations,and live cell assays.The results demonstrate that an increase in membrane tension enhances the activity of melittin,particularly near its critical pore-forming concentration.Moreover,peptide actions such as binding,insertion,and aggregation in the membrane further influence the evolution of membrane tension.Live cell experiments reveal that artificially enhancing membrane tension effectively enhances melittin’s ability to induce pore formation and disrupt membranes,resulting in up to a ten-fold increase in A549 cell mortality when exposed to a concentration of 2.0-μg·mL^(-1)melittin.Our findings elucidate the relationship between membrane tension and the mechanism of action as well as pore-forming efficiency of melittin,while providing a practical mechanical approach for regulating functional activity of molecules at the cell-membrane interface.展开更多
Glutathione (GSH) capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs) with photoluminescence quantum yields of 61% and the maximum emitting at 601.2 nm were prepared in water phase.Giant unilamellar CdTe quantum dot vesicles (GUVs-CdTe),w...Glutathione (GSH) capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs) with photoluminescence quantum yields of 61% and the maximum emitting at 601.2 nm were prepared in water phase.Giant unilamellar CdTe quantum dot vesicles (GUVs-CdTe),with diameters larger than 1.5 μm,were obtained using lower-pressure evaporation techniques with soybean lecithin.Compared with other QD liposomes,the entrapment efficiency of GUVs-CdTe for QDs has been significantly improved to 86.3%.After GUVs-CdTe were injected into mice through the tail vein,the fluorescence microscopy of tissue sections showed that GUVs-CdTe could not pass through the blood-brain barrier and air-blood barrier,which were removed mostly by the reticuloendothelial system and were widely distributed in the spleen and the liver.This behavior is the same as the character of the metabolic pathway of giant unilamellar vesicles by intravenous injections in mice.展开更多
The vesicle structures of egg yolks phosphatidylcholine/didodecyldimethylammonium bromide （1 ： 1, mass ratio） deposited on mica were studied by atomic force microscopy （AFM） both in aqueous phase and air. In aque...The vesicle structures of egg yolks phosphatidylcholine/didodecyldimethylammonium bromide （1 ： 1, mass ratio） deposited on mica were studied by atomic force microscopy （AFM） both in aqueous phase and air. In aqueous phase both bilayer and domelike vesicles with a mean diameter of 45 nm were observed, whereas in air the structure was more complicated depending on the initial concentration of vesicles. Vesicles with the original size could only be visualized at very low concentration with a mean diameter of 55 nm, which is a little larger than the result obtained in aqueous phase. At higher concentrations, fused large aggregates and multiple bilayer with a thickness ca. 4 nm of each bilayer were dominated. A plausible adsorption mechanism was proposed based on the experimental results.展开更多
以聚乙二醇6000与α-溴代异丁酰溴进行酯化反应得到大分子引发剂PEG6000-Br,使用原子转移自由基聚合(ATRP)法合成了对称三嵌段且聚合度相等的聚甲基丙烯酸二甲胺乙酯-聚乙二醇-聚甲基丙烯酸二甲胺乙酯(PDM_(165)-PEG_(165)-PDM_(165))...以聚乙二醇6000与α-溴代异丁酰溴进行酯化反应得到大分子引发剂PEG6000-Br,使用原子转移自由基聚合(ATRP)法合成了对称三嵌段且聚合度相等的聚甲基丙烯酸二甲胺乙酯-聚乙二醇-聚甲基丙烯酸二甲胺乙酯(PDM_(165)-PEG_(165)-PDM_(165))。利用FTIR和~1HNMR对其结构进行了表征。以p H、电导率测试证明了聚合物溶液的CO_2/N_2循环可逆性,聚合物溶液中通入CO_2后,5 min内,溶液p H值即从7.74下降至5.47,溶液电导率从0.176 m S/cm迅速上升至0.405 m S/cm;继而向溶液中通入N_2,经过30 min后,溶液的p H值和电导率都恢复到初始值。冷冻透射电镜(Cryo-TEM)观察得知,聚合物在水中可自组装形成单层囊泡,通入CO_2后,叔胺被质子化,囊泡解离形成网状结构,导致溶液黏度从3 m Pa·s上升至12 m Pa·s,叔胺质子化由~1HNMR证明,N原子附近的氢位移从δ2.3、2.7、4.1向低场分别移动至δ2.8、3.2、4.3。展开更多
Prepore formation is hypothesized to be an obligate step in the insertion of Cry1Ab toxin into insect brush border membrane vesicles. We examined the architecture of the putative prepore when isolated using the publis...Prepore formation is hypothesized to be an obligate step in the insertion of Cry1Ab toxin into insect brush border membrane vesicles. We examined the architecture of the putative prepore when isolated using the published protocols [1] [2]. Our results demonstrate that the putative prepore form of Cry1Ab is a combination of receptor proteins attached to the toxin, when purified. The results also suggest that this prepore form as prepared by the methods published is different from other membrane-extracted oligomeric forms of Cry toxins and prepore of other toxins in general. While most other known prepores are composed of multimers of a single protein, the Cry1Ab prepore, as generated, is a protein-receptor complex oligomer and monomers of Cry toxins.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.12274307,32230063,21774092,and 12347102)the Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province,China(Grant No.2023A1515011610).
文摘Membrane tension plays a crucial role in various fundamental cellular processes,with one notable example being the T cell-mediated elimination of tumor cells through perforin-induced membrane perforation by amplifying cellular force.However,the mechanisms governing the regulation of biomolecular activities at the cell interface by membrane tension remain elusive.In this study,we investigated the correlation between membrane tension and poration activity of melittin,a prototypical pore-forming peptide,using dynamic giant unilamellar vesicle leakage assays combined with flickering tension analysis,molecular dynamics simulations,and live cell assays.The results demonstrate that an increase in membrane tension enhances the activity of melittin,particularly near its critical pore-forming concentration.Moreover,peptide actions such as binding,insertion,and aggregation in the membrane further influence the evolution of membrane tension.Live cell experiments reveal that artificially enhancing membrane tension effectively enhances melittin’s ability to induce pore formation and disrupt membranes,resulting in up to a ten-fold increase in A549 cell mortality when exposed to a concentration of 2.0-μg·mL^(-1)melittin.Our findings elucidate the relationship between membrane tension and the mechanism of action as well as pore-forming efficiency of melittin,while providing a practical mechanical approach for regulating functional activity of molecules at the cell-membrane interface.
基金support from the Science Foundation of Sichuan Agricultural University for Distinguished Young Teachers (007202)
文摘Glutathione (GSH) capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs) with photoluminescence quantum yields of 61% and the maximum emitting at 601.2 nm were prepared in water phase.Giant unilamellar CdTe quantum dot vesicles (GUVs-CdTe),with diameters larger than 1.5 μm,were obtained using lower-pressure evaporation techniques with soybean lecithin.Compared with other QD liposomes,the entrapment efficiency of GUVs-CdTe for QDs has been significantly improved to 86.3%.After GUVs-CdTe were injected into mice through the tail vein,the fluorescence microscopy of tissue sections showed that GUVs-CdTe could not pass through the blood-brain barrier and air-blood barrier,which were removed mostly by the reticuloendothelial system and were widely distributed in the spleen and the liver.This behavior is the same as the character of the metabolic pathway of giant unilamellar vesicles by intravenous injections in mice.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （No. 20573079）, The authors are grateful to Prof. Daiwen PANG and Dr. Zhexue LU of Department of Chemistry of Wuhan University, Wuhan, for their kindly help in the AFM measurements.
文摘The vesicle structures of egg yolks phosphatidylcholine/didodecyldimethylammonium bromide （1 ： 1, mass ratio） deposited on mica were studied by atomic force microscopy （AFM） both in aqueous phase and air. In aqueous phase both bilayer and domelike vesicles with a mean diameter of 45 nm were observed, whereas in air the structure was more complicated depending on the initial concentration of vesicles. Vesicles with the original size could only be visualized at very low concentration with a mean diameter of 55 nm, which is a little larger than the result obtained in aqueous phase. At higher concentrations, fused large aggregates and multiple bilayer with a thickness ca. 4 nm of each bilayer were dominated. A plausible adsorption mechanism was proposed based on the experimental results.
文摘以聚乙二醇6000与α-溴代异丁酰溴进行酯化反应得到大分子引发剂PEG6000-Br,使用原子转移自由基聚合(ATRP)法合成了对称三嵌段且聚合度相等的聚甲基丙烯酸二甲胺乙酯-聚乙二醇-聚甲基丙烯酸二甲胺乙酯(PDM_(165)-PEG_(165)-PDM_(165))。利用FTIR和~1HNMR对其结构进行了表征。以p H、电导率测试证明了聚合物溶液的CO_2/N_2循环可逆性,聚合物溶液中通入CO_2后,5 min内,溶液p H值即从7.74下降至5.47,溶液电导率从0.176 m S/cm迅速上升至0.405 m S/cm;继而向溶液中通入N_2,经过30 min后,溶液的p H值和电导率都恢复到初始值。冷冻透射电镜(Cryo-TEM)观察得知,聚合物在水中可自组装形成单层囊泡,通入CO_2后,叔胺被质子化,囊泡解离形成网状结构,导致溶液黏度从3 m Pa·s上升至12 m Pa·s,叔胺质子化由~1HNMR证明,N原子附近的氢位移从δ2.3、2.7、4.1向低场分别移动至δ2.8、3.2、4.3。
文摘Prepore formation is hypothesized to be an obligate step in the insertion of Cry1Ab toxin into insect brush border membrane vesicles. We examined the architecture of the putative prepore when isolated using the published protocols [1] [2]. Our results demonstrate that the putative prepore form of Cry1Ab is a combination of receptor proteins attached to the toxin, when purified. The results also suggest that this prepore form as prepared by the methods published is different from other membrane-extracted oligomeric forms of Cry toxins and prepore of other toxins in general. While most other known prepores are composed of multimers of a single protein, the Cry1Ab prepore, as generated, is a protein-receptor complex oligomer and monomers of Cry toxins.
