Mass spectrometric imaging of highly curved membranes during Tetrahymena mating.
Biological membrane fusion is crucial to numerous cellular events, including sexual reproduction and exocytosis. Here, mass spectrometry images demonstrate that the low-curvature lipid phosphatidylcholine is diminished in the membrane regions between fusing Tetrahymena, where a multitude of highly curved fusion pores exist. Additionally, mass spectra and principal component analysis indicate that the fusion region contains elevated amounts of 2-aminoethylphosphonolipid, a high-curvature lipid. This evidence suggests that biological fusion involves and might in fact be driven by a heterogeneous redistribution of lipids at the fusion site.
Ostrowski
Sara G
SG
Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Van Bell
Craig T
CT
Winograd
Nicholas
N
Ewing
Andrew G
AG
D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005614:Freeze Fracturing; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008561:Membrane Fusion; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000032:analysis*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D018629:Spectrometry, Mass, Secondary Ion; D016808:Tetrahymena thermophila / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
C001823:2-aminoethylphosphonolipid; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010743:Phospholipids