Interactions of cationic lipid vesicles with negatively charged phospholipid vesicles and biological membranes

Lipid vesicles with a positive surface charge have been prepared by using mixtures of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) together with low mole fractions of a cationic lipid analogue, 1,2-bis(oleoyloxy)-3-(trimethylammonio)propane (DOTAP). We have used measurements of vesicle...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biochemistry (Easton) 1988-05, Vol.27 (11), p.3917-3925
Main Authors: Stamatatos, Leonidas, Leventis, Rania, Zuckermann, Martin J, Silvius, John R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Artificial membranes and reconstituted systems
Biological and medical sciences
Cations
Erythrocyte Membrane - metabolism
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
lipid membranes
Liposomes - metabolism
Membrane Lipids - metabolism
Membrane physicochemistry
Molecular biophysics
Phosphatidylcholines - metabolism
Phosphatidylethanolamines - metabolism
Phospholipids - metabolism
vesicles
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Summary:Lipid vesicles with a positive surface charge have been prepared by using mixtures of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) together with low mole fractions of a cationic lipid analogue, 1,2-bis(oleoyloxy)-3-(trimethylammonio)propane (DOTAP). We have used measurements of vesicle aggregation, lipid mixing, contents mixing, and contents leakage to examine the interactions between these vesicles and similar vesicles that carry a negative surface charge. Mixtures of vesicles with opposite surface charges aggregate readily at physiological or lower ionic strengths, and the extent of this aggregation is enhanced for vesicles that contain high proportions of PE relative to PC. Mixing of lipids and aqueous contents can also be observed between such vesicles, particularly when the vesicles contain substantial proportions of PE. Surprisingly, these latter processes are strongly promoted by monovalent salts and do not proceed at very low ionic strengths. PE/DOTAP vesicles show substantial lipid mixing with negatively charged vesicles containing high proportions of phosphatidylcholine, as well as with human erythrocyte ghosts, on a time scale of a few minutes. These interactions are strongly promoted both by the presence of high levels of PE in the cationic vesicles and by the presence of complementary surface charges on the two membrane populations.
ISSN:0006-2960
1520-4995
DOI:10.1021/bi00411a005