title: Distribution of GD3 in DPPC monolayers: a thermodynamic and atomic force microscopy combined study.
abstract: Gangliosides are the main component of lipid rafts. These microdomains, floating in the outer leaflet of cellular membrane, play a key role in fundamental cellular functions. Little is still known about ganglioside and phospholipid interaction. We studied mixtures of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and GD3 (molar fraction of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) using complementary techniques: 1), thermodynamic properties of the Langmuir-Blodgett films were assessed at the air-water interface (surface tension, surface potential); and 2), three-dimensional morphology of deposited films on mica substrates were imaged by atomic force microscopy. Mixture thermodynamics were consistent with data in the literature. In particular, excess free energy was negative at each molar fraction, thus ruling out GD3 segregation. Atomic force microscopy showed that the height of liquid-condensed domains in deposited films varied with GD3 molar fraction, as compatible with a lipid aggregation model proposed by Maggio. No distinct GD3-rich domain was observed inside the films, suggesting that GD3 molecules gradually mix with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine molecules, confirming DeltaG data. Morphological analysis revealed that the shape of liquid-condensed domains is strongly influenced by the amount of GD3, and an interesting stripe-formation phenomenon was observed. These data were combined with the thermodynamic results and interpreted in the light of McConnell's model.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Tecnologie e Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy. marco.diociaiuti@iss.it
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diociaiuti
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ruspantini
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giordani
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bordi
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chistolini
mesh_terms: D015060:1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine / Q000737:chemistry*; D019281:Dimerization; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000737:chemistry*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D021962:Membrane Microdomains; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D011485:Protein Binding; D013499:Surface Properties; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D005732:Gangliosides; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D015060:1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine; C026226:ganglioside, GD3