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Journal articleFriddin MS, Bolognesi G, Elani Y, et al., 2016,
Optically assembled droplet interface bilayer (OptiDIB) networks from cell-sized microdroplets
, Soft Matter, Vol: 12, Pages: 7731-7734, ISSN: 1744-6848We report a new platform technology to systematically assemble droplet interface bilayer (DIB) networks in user-defined 3D architectures from cell-sized droplets using optical tweezers. Our OptiDIB platform is the first demonstration of optical trapping to precisely construct 3D DIB networks, paving the way for the development of a new generation of modular bio-systems.
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Journal articleDent MR, López-Duarte I, Dickson CJ, et al., 2016,
Imaging plasma membrane phase behaviour in live cells using a thiophene-based molecular rotor
, Chemical Communications, Vol: 52, Pages: 13269-13272, ISSN: 1364-548XMolecular rotors have emerged as versatile probes of microscopic viscosity in lipid bilayers, although it has proved difficult to find probes that stain both phases equally in phase-separated bilayers. Here, we investigate the use of a membrane-targeting viscosity-sensitive fluorophore based on a thiophene moiety with equal affinity for ordered and disordered lipid domains to probe ordering and viscosity within artificial lipid bilayers and live cell plasma membranes.
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Journal articleKuimova MK, Mika JT, Thompson AJ, et al., 2016,
Measuring the viscosity of the Escherichia coli plasma membrane using molecular rotors
, Biophysical Journal, Vol: 111, Pages: 1528-1540, ISSN: 1542-0086The viscosity is a highly important parameter within the cell membrane, affecting the diffusion ofsmall molecules and, hence, controlling the rates of intra-cellular reactions. There is significantinterest in the direct, quantitative assessment of membrane viscosity. Here we report the use offluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) of the molecular rotor BODIPY C10 in themembranes of live Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria to permit direct quantification of the viscosity.Using this approach we investigated the viscosity in live E. coli cells, spheroplasts and liposomesmade from E. coli membrane extracts. For live cells and spheroplasts the viscosity was measured atboth room temperature (23o C) and the E. coli growth temperature (37o C), while the membraneextract liposomes were studied over a range of measurement temperatures (5-40o C). At 37o C werecorded a membrane viscosity in live E. coli cells of 950 cP, which is considerably higher than thatpreviously observed in other live cell membranes (e.g., eukaryotic cells, membranes of Bacillusvegetative cells). Interestingly, this indicates that E. coli cells exhibit a high degree of lipid orderingwithin their liquid-phase plasma membranes.
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Journal articleWarren SC, Kim Y, Stone JM, et al., 2016,
Adaptive multiphoton endomicroscopy through a dynamically deformed multicore optical fiber using proximal detection
, Optics Express, Vol: 24, Pages: 21474-21484, ISSN: 1094-4087This paper demonstrates multiphoton excited fluorescenceimaging through a polarisation maintaining multicore fiber (PM-MCF)while the fiber is dynamically deformed using all-proximal detection.Single-shot proximal measurement of the relative optical path lengths of allthe cores of the PM-MCF in double pass is achieved using a Mach-Zehnderinterferometer read out by a scientific CMOS camera operating at 416 Hz.A non-linear least squares fitting procedure is then employed to determinethe deformation-induced lateral shift of the excitation spot at the distal tip ofthe PM-MCF. An experimental validation of this approach is presented thatcompares the proximally measured deformation-induced lateral shift infocal spot position to an independent distally measured ground truth. Theproximal measurement of deformation-induced shift in focal spot position isapplied to correct for deformation-induced shifts in focal spot positionduring raster-scanning multiphoton excited fluorescence imaging.
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Journal articleMessager L, Burns JR, Kim J, et al., 2016,
Biomimetic hybrid nanocontainers with selective permeability
, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Vol: 55, Pages: 11106-11109, ISSN: 1521-3757Chemistry plays a crucial role in creating synthetic analogues of biomacromolecular structures. Of particular scientific and technological interest are biomimetic vesicles that are inspired by natural membrane compartments and organelles but avoid their drawbacks, such as membrane instability and limited control over cargo transport across the boundaries. In this study, completely synthetic vesicles were developed from stable polymeric walls and easy‐to‐engineer membrane DNA nanopores. The hybrid nanocontainers feature selective permeability and permit the transport of organic molecules of 1.5 nm size. Larger enzymes (ca. 5 nm) can be encapsulated and retained within the vesicles yet remain catalytically active. The hybrid structures constitute a new type of enzymatic nanoreactor. The high tunability of the polymeric vesicles and DNA pores will be key in tailoring the nanocontainers for applications in drug delivery, bioimaging, biocatalysis, and cell mimicry.
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Conference paperWalker R, Madej B, Lin C, et al., 2016,
Adventures in the world of lipids: Towards the routine simulation of complex membranes and membrane bound proteins
, Publisher: AMER CHEMICAL SOC, ISSN: 0065-7727 -
Journal articleMachta BB, Gray E, Nouri M, et al., 2016,
Conditions that Stabilize Membrane Domains Also Antagonize n-Alcohol Anesthesia
, Biophysical Journal, Vol: 11, Pages: 537-545, ISSN: 1542-0086Diverse molecules induce general anesthesia with potency strongly correlated with both their hydrophobicity and their effects on certain ion channels. We recently observed that several n -alcohol anesthetics inhibit heterogeneity in plasma-membrane-derived vesicles by lowering the critical temperature (Tc) for phase separation. Here, we exploit conditions that stabilize membrane heterogeneity to further test the correlation between the anesthetic potency of n -alcohols and effects on Tc. First, we show that hexadecanol acts oppositely to n -alcohol anesthetics on membrane mixing and antagonizes ethanol-induced anesthesia in a tadpole behavioral assay. Second, we show that two previously described “intoxication reversers” raise Tc and counter ethanol’s effects in vesicles, mimicking the findings of previous electrophysiological and behavioral measurements. Third, we find that elevated hydrostatic pressure, long known to reverse anesthesia, also raises Tc in vesicles with a magnitude that counters the effect of butanol at relevant concentrations and pressures. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ΔTc predicts anesthetic potency for n-alcohols better than hydrophobicity in a range of contexts, supporting a mechanistic role for membrane heterogeneity in general anesthesia.
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Journal articleGirvan P, Miyake T, Teng X, et al., 2016,
Kinetics of the Interactions between Copper and Amyloid-β with FAD Mutations and Phosphorylation at the N-terminus
, Chembiochem, Vol: 17, Pages: 1732-1737, ISSN: 1439-7633Mutations and post-translational modifications of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide in its N terminus have been shown to increase fibril formation, yet the molecular mechanism is not clear. Here we investigated the kinetics of the interactions of copper with two Aβ peptides containing Familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) mutations (English (H6R) and Tottori (D7N)), as well as with Aβ peptide phosphorylated at serine 8 (pS8). All three peptides bind to copper with a similar rate as the wild-type (wt). The dissociation rates follow the order pS8>H6R>wt>D7N; the interconversion between the two coordinating species occurs 50 % faster for H6R and pS8, whereas D7N had only a negligible effect. Interestingly, the rate of ternary complex (copper-bridged heterodimer) formation for the modified peptides was significantly faster than that for wt, thus leading us to propose that FAD and sporadic AD might share a kinetic origin for the enhanced oligomerisation of Aβ.
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Journal articleZhao W, Jamshidiha M, Lanyon-Hogg T, et al., 2016,
Direct targeting of the Ras GTPase superfamily through structure-based design
, Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry, Vol: 16, Pages: 16-29, ISSN: 1873-4294The Ras superfamily of small monomeric GTPases includes some of the most prominent cancer targets for which no selective therapeutic agent has yet been successfully developed. The turn of the millennium saw a resurgence of efforts to target these enzymes using new and improved biophysical techniques to overcome the perceived difficulties of insurmountably high affinity for guanosine nucleotides and flat, flexible topology lacking suitable pockets for small molecule inhibitors. Further, recent investigations have begun to probe the dynamic conformational status of GTP-bound Ras, opening up new mechanisms of inhibition. While much of the literature has focused on the oncogenic Ras proteins, particularly K-Ras, these represent only a small minority of therapeutically interesting targets within the superfamily; for example, the Rab GTPases are the largest subfamily of about 70 members, and present an as yet untapped class of potential targets. The present review documents the key methodologies employed to date in structure-guided attempts to drug the Ras GTPases, and forecasts their transferability to other similarly challenging proteins in the superfamily.
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Journal articleKumar S, Lockward N, Ramel M-C, et al., 2016,
Quantitative in vivo optical tomography of cancer progression & vasculature development in adult zebrafish
, Oncotarget, Vol: 7, Pages: 43939-43948, ISSN: 1949-2553We describe a novel approach to study tumour progression and vasculature development in vivo via global 3-D fluorescence imaging of live non-pigmented adult zebrafish utilising angularly multiplexed optical projection tomography with compressive sensing (CS-OPT). This “mesoscopic” imaging method bridges a gap between established ~μm resolution 3-D fluorescence microscopy techniques and ~mm-resolved whole body planar imaging and diffuse tomography. Implementing angular multiplexing with CS-OPT, we demonstrate the in vivo global imaging of an inducible fluorescently labelled genetic model of liver cancer in adult non-pigmented zebrafish that also present fluorescently labelled vasculature. In this disease model, addition of a chemical inducer (doxycycline) drives expression of eGFP tagged oncogenic K-RASV12 in the liver of immune competent animals. We show that our novel in vivo global imaging methodology enables non-invasive quantitative imaging of the development of tumour and vasculature throughout the progression of the disease, which we have validated against established methods of pathology including immunohistochemistry. We have also demonstrated its potential for longitudinal imaging through a study of vascular development in the same zebrafish from early embryo to adulthood. We believe that this instrument, together with its associated analysis and data management tools, constitute a new platform for in vivo cancer studies and drug discovery in zebrafish disease models.
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