Functional liposomes and supported lipid bilayers: towards the complexity of biological archetypes

Abstract

This perspective paper provides some illustrative examples on the interplay between information gathered on planar supported lipid bilayers (SLB) and unilamellar lipid vesicles (ULV) to get an integrated description of phenomena occurring at the nanoscale that involve locally bilayered structures. Similarities and differences are underlined and critically compared in terms of biomimetic fidelity and instrumental accessibility to structural and dynamical parameters, focusing on some recent reports that either explicitly address this comparison or introducing some studies that separately investigate the same process in SLB and lipid vesicles. Despite the structural similarity on the nanoscale, the different topology implies radically different characterization techniques that have evolved in sectorial and separated approaches. The quest for increasing levels of compositional complexity for bilayered systems should not result in a loss of structural and dynamical control: this is the central challenge of future research in this area, where the integrated approach highlighted in this contribution would enable improved levels of understanding.

Monogalactosyldiacylglycerol and digalactosyldiacylglycerol role, physical states, applications and biomimetic monolayer films

“…Lipid membranes can self-organize and interact with biomolecules, both at its surface and within the membrane, due to the amphiphilic character and electrostatic charge of the lipid components [1,2]. Supported planar bilayer (SPB) or monolayers onto solid surfaces are widely used as model for mimicking biological membranes.…”

“…Biomimetic membranes have been prepared previously using several model lipids [2][3][4] but rarely using galactolipids that are the main component of plant membranes. (Fig.…”

Lab on a Biomembrane: Rapid prototyping and manipulation of 2D fluidic lipid bilayer circuits

“…Supported molecular phospholipid films are versatile model membrane architectures1, which are valuable to mimic fundamental properties and features of the plasma membrane at reduced complexity234. Double bilayer56, single bilayer789101112 as well as monolayer films13 can be formed on solid supports, providing enhanced stability and improved accessibility by probing techniques14.…”

Influence of membrane galactolipids and surface pressure on plastoquinone behaviour

“…Artificial lipid bilayers have been extensively studied as membrane models to mimic natural membranes. They have shown their relevance in a broad range of chemical, biological and technological applications, one of them being the development of artificial photoelectric devices [1][2][3][4][5]. Photosynthesis takes place in the thylakoid membrane of oxygenic photosynthetic organisms which is constituted by a lipid matrix that maintains the fluidity of the membrane, allows an electrochemical potential difference across this membrane and harbours the protein complexes of the photosynthetic machinery [6].…”