Calcium-triggered fusion of lipid membranes is enabled by amphiphilic nanoparticles
Abstract
Lipid membrane fusion is a critical component of biological transport, communication, and developmental processes. The fusion reaction is kinetically constrained since it contains multiple large energy barriers, so proteins and ions are used by natural systems to intervene and catalyze the reaction toward biologically relevant timescales. Here, we demonstrate how amphiphilic nanoparticles can prime lipid membranes for fusion so that complete fusion proceeds only upon exposure to an excess of calcium or other stimulus that would stress the outer leaflet. This is a major advance in the nascent field of controlled fusion and may unlock new avenues of research on how nanomaterials can be designed from first principles to perform targeted functional roles in biological systems.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Jul 20, 2020
- Source ID
- 10.1073/pnas.1902597117
Entities
People
- Ahmet Bekdemir
- Alfredo Alexander-Katz
- Alisha N. Bhanji
- Berta Tinao
- Darrell J Irvine
- Francesco Stellacci
- Jacob T Martin
- Laura R Arriaga
- Mukarram A. Tahir
- Yu-sang Sabrina Yang
- Zekiye P. Guven
Organizations
- Autonomous University of Madrid
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- National Science Foundation
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne
- Swiss National Science Foundation
- United States Army
- United States Department of Energy