Supported lipid bilayers are often used as model systems for studying interactions of biological membranes with protein or nanoparticles. A supported lipid bilayer is a phospholipid bilayer built on a solid substrate. The latter is typically made of silica or a metal oxide due to the ease of its formation and range of compatible measurement techniques. Recently, a solvent-assisted method involving supported lipid bilayer formation has allowed the extension of compatible substrate materials to include noble metals such as gold. Here, we examine the influence of substrate composition (SiO2 vs Au) on the interactions between anionic ligand-coated Au nanoparticles or cytochrome c and zwitterionic supported lipid bilayers using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring. We find that anionic nanoparticles and cytochrome c have higher adsorption to bilayers formed on Au relative to those on SiO2 substrates. We examine the substrate-dependence of nanoparticle adsorption with DLVO theory and all-atom simulations, and find that the stronger attractive van der Waals and weaker repulsive electrostatic forces between anionic nanoparticles and Au substrates vs anionic nanoparticles and SiO2 substrates could be responsible for the change in adsorption observed. Our results also indicate that the underlying substrate material influences the degree to which nanoscale analytes interact with supported lipid bilayers; therefore, interpretation of the supported lipid bilayer model system should be conducted with understanding of support properties.
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Lipid bilayer disruption induced by amphiphilic Janus nanoparticles: the non-monotonic effect of charged lipids
In this study, we report the complex effects of charged lipids on the interaction between amphiphilic Janus nanoparticles and lipid bilayers. Janus nanoparticles are cationic on one hemisphere and hydrophobic on the other. We show that the nanoparticles, beyond threshold concentrations, induce holes in both cationic and anionic lipid bilayers mainly driven by hydrophobic interactions. However, the formation of these defects is non-monotonically dependent on ionic lipid composition. The electrostatic attraction between the particles and anionic lipid bilayers enhances particle adsorption and lowers the particle concentration threshold for defect initiation, but leads to more localized membrane disruption. Electrostatic repulsion leads to reduced particle adsorption on cationic bilayers and extensive defect formation that peaks at intermediate contents of cationic lipids. This study elucidates the significant role lipid composition plays in influencing how amphiphilic Janus nanoparticles interact with and perturb lipid membranes.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1705384
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10104863
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Soft Matter
- Volume:
- 15
- Issue:
- 11
- ISSN:
- 1744-683X
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 2373 to 2380
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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