title: Membrane activation: selective vesicle fusion via small molecule recognition.
abstract: We report herein the induction of selective vesicle fusion with biological recognition motifs not natively associated with lipid bilayer fusion, thus broadening the scope of recognition-guided membrane activation. Our system employs vancomycin glycopeptide, coupled to the antimicrobial peptide magainin, and D-Ala-D-Ala-OH dipeptide coupled to a phospholipid derivative, as surface-bound fusogens. Fusion was characterized by dynamic light scattering and FRET experiments with lipid bound fluorophores. We have demonstrated here that appropriately designed membrane anchored molecular recognition motifs have the biomimetic ability to activate specific membrane mergers; this principle has resonance with goals in targeted chemical delivery and nanoscale compartmentalized chemistry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Yumei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bong
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D008565:Membrane Proteins