title: Investigation of transmembrane protein fused in lipid bilayer membranes supported on porous silicon.
abstract: This article investigates a device made from a porous silicon structure supporting a lipid bilayer membrane (LBM)fused with Epithelial Sodium Channel protein. The electrochemically-fabricated porous silicon template had pore diameters in the range 0.2~2 µm. Membranes were composed of two synthetic phospholipids: 1,2-diphytanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoserine and 1,2-diphytanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine. The LBMwas formed by means of the Langmuir-Blodgett and Langmuir-Schaefer techniques, at a monolayer surface tension of 26 m Nm(-1) in room temperature and on a deionized water subphase, which resulted in an average molecular area of 0.68-0.73 nm(2). Fusion of transmembrane protein was investigated using Atomic Force Microscopy. Initial atomic force microscopy results demonstrate the ability to support lipid bilayers fused with transmembrane proteins across a porous silicon substrate. However, more control of the membrane's surface tension using traditional membrane fusion techniques is required to optimize protein incorporation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899, USA.
authors.forename: Khalid Hasan
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Tantawi
authors.forename: Ramon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cerro
authors.forename: Bakhrom
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Berdiev
authors.forename: M Elena Diaz
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Francisco Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Montes
authors.forename: Darayas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation; D053503:Epithelial Sodium Channels / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D016062:Porosity; D011312:Pressure; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D053503:Epithelial Sodium Channels; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D012825:Silicon