Cholesterol and sphingolipid-enriched "rafts" have long been proposed as platforms for the sorting of specific membrane components including glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-APs), however, their existence and physical properties have been controversial. Here, we investigate the size of lipid-dependent organization of GPI-APs in live cells, using homo and hetero-FRET-based experiments, combined with theoretical modeling. These studies reveal an unexpected organization wherein cell surface GPI-APs are present as monomers and a smaller fraction (20%-40%) as nanoscale (<5 nm) cholesterol-sensitive clusters. These clusters are composed of at most four molecules and accommodate diverse GPI-AP species; crosslinking GPI-APs segregates them from preexisting GPI-AP clusters and prevents endocytosis of the crosslinked species via a GPI-AP-selective pinocytic pathway. In conjunction with an analysis of the statistical distribution of the clusters, these observations suggest a mechanism for functional lipid-dependent clustering of GPI-APs.

Tripodal cholamide 1 is a supergelator of aqueous fluids. A variety of physical techniques, including cryo-transmission electron microscopy (TEM), circular dichroism (CD), steady-state fluorescence, time-resolved fluorescence, and dynamic light-scattering, were employed to understand the structure and dynamics of the gel. Fluorescent probes [ANS (8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid) and pyrene] reported two critical aggregation concentrations (CAC(1) and CAC(2)) of 1 in predominantly aqueous media, with the minimum gel concentration (MGC) being close to CAC(2). Fluorescence lifetime measurements with pyrene revealed ineffective quenching of pyrene fluorescence by oxygen, possibly caused by slower Brownian diffusion due to the enhanced viscosity in the gel phase. The study of the gelation kinetics by monitoring the ultrafast dynamics of ANS revealed a progressive increase in the aggregate size and the microviscosity of the aqueous pool encompassed by the self-assembled fibrillar network (SAFIN) during the gelation. The striking difference between microviscosity and bulk (macroscopic) viscosity of the gel is also discussed.

The effects of ceramide incorporation in supported bilayers prepared from ternary lipid mixtures which have small nanoscale domains have been examined using atomic force and fluorescence microscopy. Both direct ceramide incorporation in vesicles used to prepare the supported bilayers and enzymatic hydrolysis of SM by sphingomyelinase were compared for membranes prepared from 5:5:1 DOPC/sphingomyelin/cholesterol mixtures. Both methods of ceramide incorporation resulted in enlargement of the initial small ordered domains. However, enzymatic ceramide generation led to a much more pronounced restructuring of the bilayer to give large clusters of domains with adjacent areas of a lower phase. The individual domains were heterogeneous with two distinct heights, the highest of which is assigned to a ceramide-rich phase which is hypothesized to occur via ceramide flip-flop to the lower leaflet with formation of a raised domain due to negative membrane curvature. A combination of AFM and fluorescence showed that the bilayer restructuring starts rapidly after enzyme addition, with formation of large clusters of domains at sites of high enzyme activity. The clustering of domains is accompanied by redistribution of fluid phase to the periphery of the domain clusters and there is a continued slow evolution of the bilayer over a period of an hour or more after the enzyme is removed. The relevance of the observed clustering of small nanoscale domains to the postulated coalescence of raft domains to form large signaling platforms is discussed.

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The rate of transport of protons across lipid membranes is anomalously high when compared to that of other monovalent cations. The H-bonded water-wire mechanism had been proposed earlier for explaining this anomaly. We have probed the dynamics of lipid membranes by the fluorescence probe Nile Red. Membrane composition was altered by incorporation of cholesterol. Proton transport across membranes was estimated by the rate of decay of the pH gradient monitored by pyranine fluorescence. The fluorescence lifetime and lifetime distribution (analyzed by the maximum entropy method) of Nile Red in membranes were estimated. An increase in the level of cholesterol resulted in a decrease in the rate of proton transport and increases in both the peak value and width of the lifetime distribution of Nile Red. These results are interpreted by a model wherein cholesterol causes a decrease in the water content of membranes and thereby decreases the probability of the H-bonded water wire across membranes, resulting in a decrease in proton flux.

Mixed ligand complexes of Ni(II) with 1,10-phenanthroline (1,10-Phen) and Schiff bases L1(MIIMP); L2(CMIIMP); L3(EMIIMP); L4(MIIMNP); L5(MEMIIMP); L6(BMIIMP); L7(MMIIMP); L8(MIIBD) have been synthesized. These metal chelates have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, Mass, UV-Vis, magnetic moments, and thermogravimetric (TG&DTA) analysis. Spectral data showed that the 1,10-phenanthroline act as neutral bidentate ligand coordinating to the metal ion through two nitrogen donor atoms and Schiff bases acts as monobasic bidentate coordinating through NO donor atoms. All Ni(II) complexes appear to have an octahedral geometry. The antimicrobial activity of mixed ligand complexes has been studied by screening against various microorganisms, it is observed that the activity enhances upon coordination. The DNA binding studies have been investigated by UV-Vis spectroscopy, and the experimental results indicate that these complexes bind to CT DNA with the intrinsic binding constant Kb = 2.5 ± 0.2 × 105 M−1. MTT is used to test the anticancer effect of the complexes with HL60 tumor cell. The inhibition ratio was accelerated by increasing the dosage, and it had significant positive correlation with the medication dosage.

Rotational dynamics of polarity sensitive fluorescent dyes (ANS and DPH) in a nonpolymeric aqueous gel derived from tripodal cholamide 1 was studied using ultrafast time-resolved fluorescence technique. Results were compared with that of naturally occurring di- and trihydroxy bile salts. ANS in the gel showed two rotational correlation time (φ) components, 13.2 ns (bound to the hydrophobic region of the gel) and 1.0 ns (free aqueous ANS), whereas DPH showed only one component (4.8 ns). In the sol state, faster rotational motion was observed, both for ANS and DPH. Our data revealed that dyes get encapsulated more tightly in the gel network when compared to the micellar aggregates. ANS has more restrained rotation compared to DPH. This was attributed to the interaction of the sulfonate group of ANS with water molecules and hydrophilic parts of the gelator molecule. No restricted rotation was observed for DPH in the gel state unlike when it is in the gel phase of lipid bilayer.

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