A Comparative Study of Phosphatidylcholine versus Phosphatidylserine-Based Solid Supported Membranes for the Preparation of Liposome-Rich Interfaces

Langmuir. 2018 Oct 9;34(40):12183-12190. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b02397. Epub 2018 Sep 26.

Abstract

Solid supported membranes (SSMs) are usually formed by an hybrid octadecanethiol/phosphatidylcholine (PC) bilayer supported by a gold electrode. Recently, it was shown that phosphatidylserine (PS) in place of PC can promote a more effective accumulation of lipid vesicles on the SSM surface when Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions are present in the external environment. Here we performed a detailed comparative study of the vesicle adsorption process onto PC- and PS-SSMs by employing surface plasmon resonance (SPR), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). SPR analysis has demonstrated a higher affinity of the PS-SSM surface for the phospholipid vesicles. Both SPR and EIS measurements suggest that adsorption of lipid vesicles on the PC-SSM tends to a saturating value, whereas a continuous and progressive vesicle adsorption occurs on the PS-SSM surface following subsequent liposome additions. AFM analysis pointed out a systematic flattening of the adsorbed vesicles on the PS-SSM surface. We interpreted our results as due to the strong coordinating action of the high amount of divalent cations accumulated at the negatively charged PS-SSM surface, whereas a lower amount of cations is present on the dipolar PC-SSM surface, which can therefore adsorb only a limited number of vesicles.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Electrodes
  • Gold / chemistry
  • Kinetics
  • Lipid Bilayers / chemistry*
  • Liposomes / chemistry*
  • Phosphatidylcholines / chemistry*
  • Phosphatidylserines / chemistry*
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds / chemistry

Substances

  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Liposomes
  • Phosphatidylcholines
  • Phosphatidylserines
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds
  • n-octadecyl mercaptan
  • Gold