Interactions Mode of Amphoteric Molecules with Ordered Phospholipid Membrane

Aim To explore interaction mode between amphoteric molecules with the orderedphospholipid membrane. Methods Membrane interactions were determined by immobilized artificialmembrane (IAM) chromatography and solutes' hydrophobicity was measured by n-octanol/buffer system.Results The ampholytes, similar to bases, generally exhibited higher membrane affinity than expectedfrom their hydrophobicity, resulting from the attractive polar interaction with phospholipidmembrane. Furthermore, the strength of additional polar interaction with membrane (Δlg k_(IAM)) wasthen calculated. The Δlg k_(IAM) values were far greater for bases and ampholytes ranging from0.50 - 1.39, than those for acids and neutrals with the scope from - 0.55 - 0.44. ConclusionConsidering the microspecies distribution of amphoteric molecules, it was assumed that not onlyneutral and positive but also zwitterionic microspecies are capable of partitioning into orderedamphoteric lipid membrane with complementarily conformational and energetically favorableinteractions.

New DNA probe for studying cell membrane interactions

Subject Code:B05 With the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the US National Institutes of Health,a team led by Dr.Tan Weihong(谭蔚泓)at Hunan University and the University of Florida reported a new DNA probe for studying cell membrane interactions,which was recently published

On the gating of mechanosensitive channels by fluid shear stress

Mechanosensation is an important process in biological fluid-structure interaction. To understand the biophysics underlying mechanosensation, it is essential to quantify the correlation between membrane deformation, membrane tension, external fluid shear stress, and conformation of mechanosensitive (MS) channels. Smoothed dissipative particle dynamics (SDPD) simulations of vesicle/cell in three types of flow configurations are conducted to calculate the tension in lipid membrane due to fluid shear stress from the surrounding viscous flow. In combination with a simple continuum model for an MS channel, SDPD simulation results suggest that shearing adhered vesicles/cells is more effective to induce membrane tension sufficient to stretch MS channels open than a free shear flow or a constrictive channel flow. In addition, we incorporate the bilayer-cytoskeletal interaction in a two-component model to probe the effects of a cytoskeletal network on the gating of MS channels.

Hydrophobic interaction membrane chromatography for bioseparation and responsive polymer ligands involved

Hydrophobic interaction chromatography （HIC） is a rapid growing bioseparation technique, which separates biomolecules, such as therapeutic proteins and antibodys, based on the reversible hydrophobic interaction between immobilized hydrophobic ligands on chromatographic resin spheres and non-polar regions of solute molecule. In this review, the fundamental concepts of HIC and the factors that may affect purification efficiency of HIC is summarized, followed by the comparison of HIC with affinity chromatography and ion-exchange chromatography. Hydrophobic interaction membrane chromatography （HIMC） combines the advantages of HIC and membrane process and has showed great potential in bioseparation. For better understanding of HIMC, this review presents an overview of two main concerns about HIMC, i.e. membrane materials and hydrophobic ligands. Specifically, cellulose fiber-based membrane substrate and environment-responsive ligands are emphasized.

Integrin-like Protein Is Involved in the Osmotic Stressinduced Abscisic Acid Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana

We studied the perception of plant cells to osmotic stress that leads to the accumulation of abscisic acid （ABA） in stressed Arabidopsis thaliana L. cells. A significant difference was found between protoplasts and cells in terms of their responses to osmotic stress and ABA biosynthesis, implying that cell wall and/or cell wall-plasma membrane interaction are essential in identifying osmotic stress. Western blotting and immunofluorescence localization experiments, using polyclonal antibody against human integrin β1, revealed the existence of a protein similar to the integrin protein of animals in the suspension-cultured cells located in the plasma membrane fraction. Treatment with a synthetic pentapeptide, Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser （GRGDS）, which contains an RGD domain and interacts specifically with integrin protein and thus blocks the cell wall-plasma membrane interaction, significantly inhibited osmotic stress-induced ABA biosynthesis in cells, but not in protoplasts. These results demonstrate that cell wall and/or cell wall-plasma membrane interaction mediated by integrin-Iike proteins played important roles in osmotic stress-induced ABA biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana.