Sorting of Amphiphile Membrane Components in Curvature and Composition Gradients
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University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations Spring 2010 Sorting of Amphiphile Membrane Components in Curvature and Composition Gradients Aiwei Tian Upenn, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations Part of the Biochemical and Biomolecular Engineering Commons, Physical Chemistry Commons, Polymer Science Commons, Thermodynamics Commons, and the Transport Phenomena Commons Recommended Citation Tian, Aiwei, "Sorting of Amphiphile Membrane Components in Curvature and Composition Gradients" (2010). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 94. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/94 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/94 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Sorting of Amphiphile Membrane Components in Curvature and Composition Gradients Abstract Phase and shape heterogeneities in biomembranes are of functional importance. However, it is difficult to elucidate the roles membrane heterogeneities play in maintaining cellular function due to the complexity of biomembranes. Therefore, investigations of phase behavior and composition/curvature coupling in lipid and polymer model membranes offer some advantages. In this thesis, phase properties in lipid and polymer giant vesicles were studied. Line tension at the fluid/ fluid phase boundary of giant lipid unilamellar vesicles was determined directly by micropipette aspiration, and found to be composition-dependent. Dynamics of calcium-induced domains within polyanionic vesicles subject to chemical stimuli were investigated, which revealed the strength of molecular interaction and suggested applications in triggered delivery. In addition, curvature sorting of lipids and proteins was examined. Lipid membrane tethers were pulled from giant unilamellar vesicles using two micropipettes and a bead. Tether radius can be controlled and measured in this system. By examining fluorescence intensity of labeled molecules as a function of curvature, we found that DiI dyes (lipid analogues with spontaneous curvatures) had no curvature preference down to radii of 10 nm. Theoretical calculation predicted that the distribution of small lipids was dominated by entropy instead of bending energy. However protein Cholera toxin subunit B was efficiently sorted away from the high positive curvature due to its negative spontaneous curvature. Bending stiffness was determined to decrease as curvature increased in homogeneous membranes with ternary lipid mixtures near a critical consulate point, revealing the strong preferential intermolecular interactions of such mixtures. In addition, diffusion controlled domain growth was observed in tethers pulled from phase-separated vesicles, which provides a new dynamic sorting principle for lipids and proteins in curvature gradients. Degree Type Dissertation Graduate Group Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering First Advisor Dennis E. Discher Second Advisor Tobias Baumgart Keywords Lipid, polymer, vesicle, tether, curvature, sorting, phase separation Subject Categories Biochemical and Biomolecular Engineering | Physical Chemistry | Polymer Science | Thermodynamics | Transport Phenomena This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/94 SORTING OF AMPHIPHILE MEMBRANE COMPONENTS IN CURVATURE AND COMPOSITION GRADIENTS Aiwei Tian A DISSERTATION in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2010 Supervisor of Dissertation Co-Supervisor Signature____________ Signature____________ Tobias Baumgart Dennis E. Discher Graduate Group Chairperson Signature______________________ Dissertation Committee: Tobias Baumgart John C. Crocker Dennis E. Discher Paul A. Janmey for Yongfa Tian and Shuping Li ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my co-advisors, Professors Tobias Baumgart and Dennis Discher, for believing and trusting in my capability by giving me opportunities to be one of their students and investing their research projects and grants in me. Tobias Baumgart was always available and willing to help during my studies. His insistence on precision and excellence throughout the entire research influenced me the most. I have benefited greatly from his extensive expertise in physical chemistry. Without his brilliant guidance, this dissertation could not be done. Dennis Discher encouraged me to advance writing skills. His help was very important to my professional development. I have learnt a lot from his broad vision in polymer engineering. I thank Professors John Crocker and Paul Janmey for helpful discussions and serving on my committee. I am also indebted to Professor Kate Stebe for her encouragement and support. I would like to give my appreciations to all my peers in the lab for their technical cooperation and support. David Christian sent me interesting literatures and taught me data analyzing methods. Ben Capraro, whose hard-working spirit and passion for science amazed me. The optical and computer techniques of Mike Heinrich were always helpful to the lab. I enjoyed the mind stimulating discussions with all of them. I am also grateful to Corinne Johnson and Sovan Das for their technical assistance during the research project. iii I thank my friend and officemate, Cinzia Esposito, for her constant companion. We shared all the happiness and difficulties along the way. I also would like to thank Marie Ung, Ese Jeroro, Mosha Zhao, Ke Yu, Jun Qian, Amanda Remorino, Diego Pantano, Camilia Urbanek and Xiao Liu for their friendship, they made my stay in Upenn pleasurable. My parents, Shuping Li and Yongfa Tian, inspired me to be a scientist when I was young. I appreciate them for their deepest love and education to me. I also want to thank my sister Yanwei Tian, who is also my best friend in life. I would like to thank my fiance Tao Xu for his love to me since seven years ago. He gave me the strength to persevere under difficult circumstances and made my life colorful. iv ABSTRACT SORTING OF AMPHIPHILE MEMBRANE COMPONENTS IN CURVATURE AND COMPOSITION GRADIENTS Aiwei Tian Dr. Tobias Baumgart (Primary) Dr. Dennis E. Discher Phase and shape heterogeneities in biomembranes are of functional importance. However, it is difficult to elucidate the roles membrane heterogeneities play in maintaining cellular function due to the complexity of biomembranes. Therefore, investigations of phase behavior and composition/curvature coupling in lipid and polymer model membranes offer some advantages. In this thesis, phase properties in lipid and polymer giant vesicles were studied. Line tension at the fluid/fluid phase boundary of giant lipid unilamellar vesicles was determined directly by micropipette aspiration, and found to be composition-dependent. Dynamics of calcium-induced domains within polyanionic vesicles subject to chemical stimuli were investigated, which revealed the strength of molecular interaction and v suggested applications in triggered delivery. In addition, curvature sorting of lipids and proteins was examined. Lipid membrane tethers were pulled from giant unilamellar vesicles using two micropipettes and a bead. Tether radius can be controlled and measured in this system. By examining fluorescence intensity of labeled molecules as a function of curvature, we found that DiI dyes (lipid analogues with spontaneous curvatures) had no curvature preference down to radii of 10 nm. Theoretical calculation predicted that the distribution of small lipids was dominated by entropy instead of bending energy. However protein Cholera toxin subunit B was efficiently sorted away from the high positive curvature due to its negative spontaneous curvature. Bending stiffness was determined to decrease as curvature increased in homogeneous membranes with ternary lipid mixtures near a critical consulate point, revealing the strong preferential intermolecular interactions of such mixtures. In addition, diffusion controlled domain growth was observed in tethers pulled from phase-separated vesicles, which provides a new dynamic sorting principle for lipids and proteins in curvature gradients. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………………v LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES……………………………………………………..xii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHASE AND CURVATURE SORTING OF LIPIDS AND MACROMOLECULES……………………………………………………1 1.1 Phase Heterogeneity in Lipid and Polymer Vesicles…………………………..1 1.1.1 Phase separation in lipid vesicles………………………………………...1 1.1.1.1 Phase separation in binary mixtures……………………….……….3 1.1.1.2 Phase separation in ternary mixtures……………………….………7 1.1.2 Phase separation in polymer vesicles…………………………………...10 1.2 Shape Heterogeneity in Lipid Membranes and Curvature/Composition Coupling………………………………………………..……………..………...11 1.2.1 Biomembrane curvature………………………………………………...12 1.2.2 Methods of curvature generation………………………………….…….12 1.2.3 Methods of curvature/composition coupling examination………….…..14 1.2.4 Curvature/composition coupling mechanism………………….………..15 1.2.4.1 Curvature sorting by spontaneous curvature……………………….15 1.2.4.2 Curvature sorting by bending stiffness composition dependence….17 1.2.4.3 Curvature sorting mechanism conclusion………………………….19 vii 1.3 References………………………………………………………………………20 CHAPTER 2 PHASE PROPERTIES IN LIPID AND POLYMER GIANT VESICLES……………………………………………………………………………….33 2.1 Line Tension Measurement at Domain Boundary of GUV………………….33