Electroporation and fusion of electrically charged vesicles

• Grant number: 13/07246-5
• Support type: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): May 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biophysics - Molecular Biophysics
• Principal researcher: Karin Do Amaral Riske
• Grantee: Rafael Bezerra de Lira
• Supervisor abroad: Rumiana Dimova
• Home Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Max Planck Society, Potsdam, Germany
• Associated to the scholarship: 11/22171-6 - Study of biophysical properties of giant unilamellar vesicles as model for intracellular delivery of material: membrane electroporation and fusion, BP.DR

Abstract

Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) are a good model of biological membranes for the investigation of biological processes. Their use allows observation of the studied events by optical microscopy. In this project, we propose to study various biophysical aspects of GUVs composed of negatively charged lipids in the presence of an electric field - electrical pulse, and during fusion with membranes of opposite charge. These experiments will be done in the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, where several advanced facilities are available. Especially, the use of a fast camera allows the measurement of the edge tension of GUVs containing different fractions of the negatively charged lipid POPG, and possibly of the cationic lipid DOTAP. These measurements will direct further experiments, including the measurement of the bending modulus, lipid composition of the pore edge, size of pores remaining after the application of electric pulses, types of lipids used for fusion between the membranes, among others. Taken together, the information obtained will help clarify the role of electric charges in various processes that occur not only in membrane models, but in living cells as well. (AU)

Scientific publications

(5)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

LIRA, RAFAEL B.; LEOMIL, FERNANDA S. C.; MELO, RENAN J.; RISKE, KARIN A.; DIMOVA, RUMIANA. To Close or to Collapse: The Role of Charges on Membrane Stability upon Pore Formation. ADVANCED SCIENCE, v. 8, n. 11 MAR 2021. Web of Science Citations: 0.

LIRA, RAFAEL B.; ROBINSON, TOM; DIMOVA, RUMIANA; RISKE, KARIN A. Highly Efficient Protein-free Membrane Fusion: A Giant Vesicle Study. BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL, v. 116, n. 1, p. 79-91, JAN 8 2019. Web of Science Citations: 6.

LIRA, RAFAEL B.; STEINKUEHLER, JAN; KNORR, ROLAND L.; DIMOVA, RUMIANA; RISKE, KARIN A. Posing for a picture: vesicle immobilization in agarose gel. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, v. 6, MAY 3 2016. Web of Science Citations: 16.

YU, MIAO; LIRA, RAFAEL B.; RISKE, KARIN A.; DIMOVA, RUMIANA; LIN, HAO. Ellipsoidal Relaxation of Deformed Vesicles. Physical Review Letters, v. 115, n. 12 SEP 18 2015. Web of Science Citations: 14.

LIRA, RAFAEL B.; DIMOVA, RUMIANA; RIEKE, KARIN A. Giant Unilamellar Vesicles Formed by Hybrid Films of Agarose and Lipids Display Altered Mechanical Properties. BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL, v. 107, n. 7, p. 1609-1619, OCT 7 2014. Web of Science Citations: 26.