title: Spontaneous membrane fusion induced by chemical formation of ceramides in a lipid bilayer.
abstract: Mere chemical generation of ceramide and related double-chain lipids in the membrane of small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) induces fusion of the vesicles. The lipids can be successfully prepared by dehydrocondensation between single-chain lipids (fatty acids and sphingosine or its analogues) in a lipid bilayer of the SUV by using a combination of 2-chloro-4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazine and amphiphilic tertiary amine catalysts, a process that can be compared to a successive enzyme model system for a fatty acyl-CoA synthetase followed by acyltransferase. The SUV spontaneously undergoes membrane fusion upon this internal chemical stimulation by the artificial enzyme system.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kobe Gakuin University, JST, Nishi-ku, Kobe 651-2180, Japan. kunisima@pharm.kobegakuin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Munetaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kunishima
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tokaji
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanamori
authors.forename: Kazuhito
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hioki
authors.forename: Shohei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tani
mesh_terms: D002518:Ceramides / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D008027:Light; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008561:Membrane Fusion; D012542:Scattering, Radiation
chemical_list: D002518:Ceramides; D008051:Lipid Bilayers