Abstract
Hydrophobic side groups on a stimuli-responsive polymer, encapsulated within a single giant unilamellar vesicle, enable membrane attachment during compartment formation at elevated temperatures. We thermally modulated the vesicle through implementation of an IR laser via an optical fiber, enabling localized directed heating. Polymer-membrane interactions were monitored using confocal imaging techniques as subsequent membrane protrusions occurred and lipid nanotubes formed in response to the polymer hydrogel contraction. These nanotubes, bridging the vesicle membrane to the contracting hydrogel, were retained on the surface of the polymer compartment, where they were transformed into smaller vesicles in a process reminiscent of cellular endocytosis. This development of a synthetic vesicle system containing a stimuli-responsive polymer could lead to a new platform for studying inter/intramembrane transport through lipid nanotubes. © 2011 American Chemical Society.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 18046-18049 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Journal of the American Chemical Society |
Volume | 133 |
Issue number | 45 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 16 2011 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01Acknowledgements: This research was supported by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the Swedish Research Council (VR), the Swedish Strategic Research Foundation (SSF), the European Research Council (ERC), and the Nordforsk Network for Dynamic Bio-membrane Research. S. R. G. acknowledges financial support from KAUST.
This publication acknowledges KAUST support, but has no KAUST affiliated authors.