title: In situ synthesis of fluorescent membrane lipids (ceramides) using click chemistry.
abstract: Ceramide analogues containing azide groups either in the polar head or in the hydrocarbon chains are non-fluorescent. When incorporated into phospholipid bilayers, they can react in situ with a non-fluorescent 1,8-naphthalimide using click chemistry giving rise to fluorescent ceramide derivatives emitting at ≈440 nm. When incorporated into giant unilamellar vesicles, two-photon excitation at 760 nm allows visualization of the ceramide-containing bilayers. This kind of method may be of general applicability in the study of model and cell membranes.
authors.affiliation: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Research Unit on Bioactive Molecules (RUBAM), Institut de Química Avançada de Catalunya (IQAC-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garrido
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Abad
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: Félix M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Goñi
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.forename: L-Ruth
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Montes
keywords: Ceramide; Click chemistry; Fluorescence; GUV