Vesicle Solubilization LUVs prepared by extrusion method were diluted in the buffer used for their preparation to the desired concentration. Here, we have used 2.3mL vesicle suspension of 5mM phospholipid concentration. After the addition of the detergent, LUV solubilization takes place in three stages (Figure 1); first the detergent monomers diffuse among bilayers, and at the same time there are some free detergent Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical monomers in the solution (stage I). The permeability, size, and stability of the LUVs will
change. Further addition of detergent saturates the vesicle bilayer. At stage II, when free detergent monomer concentration reaches its cmc value, transition from monomers to mixed lipid/detergent micelles will occur. At this step, both saturated vesicles and mixed micelles coexist. Stage III is the point where all Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical LUVs have disappeared and only mixed micelles are present in the solution. Figure 1 Scheme for the detergent-mediated reconstitution of BR into LUVs (after [11]). Stage I–III: Gradual addition of detergent to LUVs. For optimal reconstitution efficiency, BR should be added during stage II. Detergent is removed by Bio-Beads, and … The choice of detergent and its concentration affect this three-stage mechanism. In the present paper, octyl glucoside
(OG) has been used. OG is a nonionic detergent with a cmc value of about 25mM that facilitates its removal [17]. Here, after Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical adding OG, the final concentrations of lipid and OG were 4.8mM and 25.6mM, respectively. 2.3.2. BR Addition After 5–10min Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of the vesicle
solubilization, BR monomers resulting from detergent solubilization of purple membrane (BR 1mg/mL, OG 100mM) were added to the solubilized LUVs suspension and incubated for 5 to 10 minutes. The resulting suspension should be Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical a GW788388 clinical trial mixture of BR/lipid/detergent vesicles and lipid/detergent micelles with the final concentrations of 4μM, 4.3mM, and 29mM for BR, lipid, and detergent, respectively. At this stage, BR may be incorporated into the vesicles which have been saturated and destabilized by the detergent. As suggested also in [11], by varying the detergent/lipid ratio in the BR incorporation process, we found that the partly detergent-saturated until LUVs are optimal in reconstitution of BR. The detergent-BR-phospholipid mixtures were kept at room temperature for 5min to 15min, and the detergent was then removed. 2.3.3. Detergent Removal The method of detergent removal highly affects the results of the reconstitution process. High proton pumping activity of BR-reconstituted vesicles requires sealed vesicles which result from removing all residual detergents from the suspension. Any remaining detergent may alter the size, permeability, and stability of the vesicles produced by detergent removal from mixed micelles. In addition, the rate of detergent removal is another factor affecting the reconstitution process.