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- Title
Control of artificial membrane fusion in physiological ionic solutions beyond the limits of electroformation.
- Authors
Kim, Bong Kyu; Kang, Dong-Hyun; Woo, Junhyuk; Yoon, Wooseung; Ryu, Hyunil; Han, Kyungreem; Chung, Seok; Kim, Tae Song
- Abstract
Membrane fusion, merging two lipid bilayers, is crucial for fabricating artificial membrane structures. Over the past 40 years, in contrast to precise and controllable membrane fusion in-vivo through specific molecules such as SNAREs, controlling the fusion in-vitro while fabricating artificial membrane structures in physiological ionic solutions without fusion proteins has been a challenge, becoming a significant obstacle to practical applications. We present an approach consisting of an electric field and a few kPa hydraulic pressure as an additional variable to physically control the fusion, enabling tuning of the shape and size of the 3D freestanding lipid bilayers in physiological ionic solutions. Mechanical model analysis reveals that pressure-induced parallel/normal tensions enhance fusion among membranes in the microwell. In-vitro peptide-membrane assay, mimicking vesicular transport via pressure-assisted fusion, and stability of 38 days with in-chip pressure control via pore size-regulated hydrogel highlight the potential for diverse biological applications. Membrane fusion is crucial for fabricating artificial membranes. Here, the authors present an approach combining electric field with hydraulic pressure to physically control the fusion, enabling tuning of the shape and size of the 3D freestanding lipid bilayers in physiological solutions.
- Subjects
IONIC solutions; MEMBRANE fusion; ARTIFICIAL membranes; PRESSURE control; HYDROGELS; IONIC structure; BILAYER lipid membranes
- Publication
Nature Communications, 2024, Vol 15, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
2041-1723
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/s41467-024-48875-0