Mimetic models of biomembranes: glycolipids, bacterial and asymmetric membranes

• Grant number: 24/21917-4
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biophysics - Molecular Biophysics
• Principal Investigator: Karin Do Amaral Riske
• Grantee: Karin Do Amaral Riske
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: São Paulo
• Associated researchers: Frederico José Gueiros Filho ; Gabriel Silva Vignoli Muniz ; Guilherme Brand

Abstract

Mimetic models of biological membranes are widely used in biophysical studies as they allow control of components and easy handling. The most commonly used conventional models consist of a symmetric lipid bilayer with a few components. However, the use of more specific and realistic models is important in several aspects. In this project, we intend to study and use mimetic models in three specific contexts: membranes containing glycolipids, bacterial membrane models and asymmetric bilayers. Glycolipids are found exclusively in non-cytosolic monolayers of biological membranes and are important for providing stability to membranes and for participating in signaling and cellular recognition pathways. Here, we intend to study the effect of incorporating three classes of glycolipids (cerebrosides, sulfatides and gangliosides) on the properties and stability of membranes. Bacterial membranes have some unique lipid classes, such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS) present in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, and branched lipids common in Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we propose to use more realistic models of bacterial membranes (containing LPS, branched lipids and composed of lipid extracts from bacterial cultures), especially in interaction studies with antimicrobial peptides. Finally, biological membranes are highly asymmetric in terms of lipid distribution between monolayers. Here, we aim to obtain asymmetric bilayers with respect to the orientation of glycolipids, LPS and cargos. (AU)