Garcia-Manyes Sergi, Sanz Fausto
Departament de Química Física, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028, Spain.
Biochim Biophys Acta. 2010 Apr;1798(4):741-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2009.12.019. Epub 2010 Jan 4.
Lipid bilayers determine the architecture of cell membranes and regulate a myriad of distinct processes that are highly dependent on the lateral organization of the phospholipid molecules that compose the membrane. Indeed, the mechanochemical properties of the membrane are strongly correlated with the function of several membrane proteins, which demand a very specific, highly localized physicochemical environment to perform their function. Several mesoscopic techniques have been used in the past to investigate the mechanical properties of lipid membranes. However, they were restricted to the study of the ensemble properties of giant bilayers. Force spectroscopy with AFM has emerged as a powerful technique able to provide valuable insights into the nanomechanical properties of supported lipid membranes at the nanometer/nanonewton scale in a wide variety of systems. In particular, these measurements have allowed direct measurement of the molecular interactions arising between neighboring phospholipid molecules and between the lipid molecules and the surrounding solvent environment. The goal of this review is to illustrate how these novel experiments have provided a new vista on membrane mechanics in a confined area within the nanometer realm, where most of the specific molecular interactions take place. Here we report in detail the main discoveries achieved by force spectroscopy with AFM on supported lipid bilayers, and we also discuss on the exciting future perspectives offered by this growing research field.
脂质双层决定了细胞膜的结构，并调节着众多截然不同的过程，这些过程高度依赖于构成膜的磷脂分子的侧向组织。事实上，膜的机械化学性质与几种膜蛋白的功能密切相关，这些膜蛋白需要非常特定、高度局部化的物理化学环境来执行其功能。过去已经使用了几种介观技术来研究脂质膜的力学性质。然而，它们仅限于对巨型双层膜的整体性质进行研究。原子力显微镜力谱已成为一种强大的技术，能够在各种系统中，在纳米/纳牛顿尺度上为支撑脂质膜的纳米力学性质提供有价值的见解。特别是，这些测量使得能够直接测量相邻磷脂分子之间以及脂质分子与周围溶剂环境之间产生的分子相互作用。本综述的目的是说明这些新颖的实验如何为纳米领域内的受限区域中的膜力学提供了新的视角，而大多数特定分子相互作用都发生在该区域。在这里，我们详细报告了原子力显微镜力谱在支撑脂质双层上取得的主要发现，并且我们还讨论了这个不断发展的研究领域所提供的令人兴奋的未来前景。
