Design of lipid-based nanocarriers via cation modulation of ethanol-interdigitated lipid membranes
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Short-chain alcohols (i.e., ethanol) can induce membrane interdigitation in saturated-chain phosphatidylcholines (PCs). In this process, alcohol molecules intercalate between phosphate heads, increasing lateral separation and favoring hydrophobic interactions between opposing acyl chains, which interpenetrate forming an interdigitated phase. Unraveling mechanisms underlying the interactions between ethanol and model lipid membranes has implications for cell biology, biochemistry, and for the formulation of lipid-based nanocarriers. However, investigations of ethanol–lipid membrane systems have been carried out in deionized water, which limits their applicability. Here, using a combination of small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering, small-angle neutron scattering, and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we analyzed the effect of varying CaCl2 and NaCl concentrations on ethanol-induced interdigitation. We observed that while ethanol addition leads to the interdigitation of bulk phase 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) bilayers in the presence of CaCl2 and NaCl regardless of the salt concentration, the ethanol-induced interdigitation of vesicular DPPC depends on the choice of cation and its concentration. These findings unravel a key role for cations in the ethanol-induced interdigitation of lipid membranes in either bulk phase or vesicular form.
Date Issued
2021-10-12
Date Acceptance
2021-09-10
Citation
Langmuir: the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids, 2021, 37 (40), pp.11909-11921
ISSN
0743-7463
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Start Page
11909
End Page
11921
Journal / Book Title
Langmuir: the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
Volume
37
Issue
40
Copyright Statement
© 2021 American Chemical Society. This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Langmuir, after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c02076
Sponsor
Commission of the European Communities
Grant Number
PIEF-GA-2013-626766
Subjects
Chemical Physics
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2021-09-28