title: Disorder Amidst Membrane Order: Standardizing Laurdan Generalized Polarization and Membrane Fluidity Terms.
abstract: Membrane organization and fluidity research continues to expand and the understanding of membrane dynamics continues to be refined. Within this field of study, laurdan remains among the most popular, versatile, and established fluorescence probes. Fluorimetry and multiphoton microscopy techniques are standards for measuring laurdan fluorescence and continue to be refined. However, complications have arisen due to an amended membrane model, revised terms used for describing membrane phases, and wide variation in the selection of laurdan generalized polarization equation values. Here, in the context of the history and chemical properties of laurdan, discrepancies are highlighted and important recommendations are made to promote uniformity and ongoing progress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.|Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
authors.forename: Anthony G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Jay
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA. jhamilt@bu.edu.
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hamilton
mesh_terms: D015081:2-Naphthylamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D005454:Fluorescence Polarization / Q000592:standards*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D007848:Laurates / Q000737:chemistry*; D008560:Membrane Fluidity; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007848:Laurates; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D015081:2-Naphthylamine; C065580:laurdan
keywords: Cholesterol; Fluorescence microscopy; Lipid rafts; Lipids; Membranes/fluidity; Phospholipids; Physical biochemistry