Membrane actions of water-soluble fusogens: Effect of dimethyl sulfoxide, glycerol and sucrose on lipid bilayer order and fluidity
✍ Scribed by Witold K. Surewicz
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 1984
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 377 KB
- Volume
- 34
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0009-3084
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✦ Synopsis
I'he etlect of three water-soluble fusogens: dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), glycerol and sucrose on the structural properties of model lipid membranes has been studied by electron spin resonance (ESR) using 5-doxylstearic acid as a spin probe and by fluorescence spectroscopy using pyrene as an cxcimer forming fluorescent probe. All three fusogens tested produce a marked increase in the order parameter of the region close to the polar surface of the lipid bilayer. The ordering effect of [)MS(), but not of glycerol and sucrose, is much stronger with respect to membranes prepared from acidic than from neutral phospholipids. The membraneperturbing action of glycerol and sucrose manifests itself also in the reduced lateral mobility of membrane incorporated pyrene, indicating thus a decreased fluidity of the bilayer hydrophobic region. The structural perturbations produced in model membranes by DMSO. glycerol and sucrose are discussed in relation to the mechanism by which these substances promote cell fusion.