title: Electroformation of giant unilamellar vesicles from erythrocyte membranes under low-salt conditions.
abstract: Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) are an attractive experimental model for studying various membrane-related phenomena. The procedure for GUV electroformation from erythrocyte ghosts under physiological conditions was introduced recently; however, it allows preparation of a limited number of GUVs. Here we describe an efficient, reliable, and simple method for electroformation of GUVs from native erythrocyte membranes at low salt concentration, which enables the formation of higher amounts of large, spherical GUVs. GUVs prepared according to the new procedure may not retain original lipid asymmetry; however, they preserved native proteins, lipids, and oligosaccharide heterogeneity and could be a suitable system for functional studies for which larger amounts of GUVs of complex composition are needed.
authors: Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors: Miha
authors: M
authors: Mikelj
authors: Tilen
authors: T
authors: Praper
authors: Rok
authors: R
authors: Demič
authors: Vesna
authors: V
authors: Hodnik
authors: Tom
authors: T
authors: Turk
authors: Gregor
authors: G
authors: Anderluh
mesh_terms: D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D004566:Electrodes; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006021:Glycophorins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012492:Salts / Q000737:chemistry*; D053835:Unilamellar Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006021:Glycophorins; D008055:Lipids; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D012492:Salts; D053835:Unilamellar Liposomes