title: Interfacing living cells and spherically supported bilayer lipid membranes.
abstract: Spherically supported bilayer lipid membranes (SS-BLMs) exhibiting co-existing membrane microdomains were created on spherical silica substrates. These 5 μm SiO2-core SS-BLMs are shown to interact dynamically when interfaced with living cells in culture, while keeping the membrane structure and lipid domains on the SS-BLM surface intact. Interactions between the SS-BLMs and cellular components are examined via correlating fluorescently labeled co-existing microdomains on the SS-BLMs, their chemical composition and biophysical properties with the consequent organization of cell membrane lipids, proteins, and other cellular components. This approach is demonstrated in a proof-of-concept experiment involving the dynamic organization of cellular cytoskeleton, monitored as a function of the lipid domains of the SS-BLMs. The compositional versatility of SS-BLMs provides a means to address the relationship between the phenomenon of lipid phase separation and the other contributors to cell membrane lateral heterogeneity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada.
authors.forename: Carolin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Madwar
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada.
authors.forename: Gopakumar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gopalakrishnan
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada.
authors.forename: R Bruce
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Lennox
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology*; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D010316:Particle Size; D051381:Rats; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D012822:Silicon Dioxide