Fluid and highly curved model membranes on vertical nanowire arrays

TY - JOUR

T1 - Fluid and highly curved model membranes on vertical nanowire arrays

AU - Dabkowska, Aleksandra P.

AU - Niman, Cassandra S.

AU - Piret, Gaelle

AU - Persson, Henrik

AU - Wacklin, Hanna

AU - Linke, Heiner

AU - Prinz, Christelle N.

AU - Nylander, Tommy

PY - 2014/8/13

Y1 - 2014/8/13

N2 - Sensing and manipulating living cells using vertical nanowire devices requires a complete understanding of cell behavior on these substrates. Changes in cell function and phenotype are often triggered by events taking place at the plasma membrane, the properties of which are influenced by local curvature. The nanowire topography can therefore be expected to greatly affect the cell membrane, emphasizing the importance of studying membranes on vertical nanowire arrays. Here, we used supported phospholipid bilayers as a model for biomembranes. We demonstrate the formation of fluid supported bilayers on vertical nanowire forests using self-assembly from vesicles in solution. The bilayers were found to follow the contours of the nanowires to form continuous and locally highly curved model membranes. Distinct from standard flat supported lipid bilayers, the high aspect ratio of the nanowires results in a large bilayer surface available for the immobilization and study of biomolecules. We used these bilayers to bind a membrane-anchored protein as well as tethered vesicles on the nanowire substrate. The nanowire-bilayer platform shown here can be expanded from fundamental studies of lipid membranes on controlled curvature substrates to the development of innovative membrane-based nanosensors.

AB - Sensing and manipulating living cells using vertical nanowire devices requires a complete understanding of cell behavior on these substrates. Changes in cell function and phenotype are often triggered by events taking place at the plasma membrane, the properties of which are influenced by local curvature. The nanowire topography can therefore be expected to greatly affect the cell membrane, emphasizing the importance of studying membranes on vertical nanowire arrays. Here, we used supported phospholipid bilayers as a model for biomembranes. We demonstrate the formation of fluid supported bilayers on vertical nanowire forests using self-assembly from vesicles in solution. The bilayers were found to follow the contours of the nanowires to form continuous and locally highly curved model membranes. Distinct from standard flat supported lipid bilayers, the high aspect ratio of the nanowires results in a large bilayer surface available for the immobilization and study of biomolecules. We used these bilayers to bind a membrane-anchored protein as well as tethered vesicles on the nanowire substrate. The nanowire-bilayer platform shown here can be expanded from fundamental studies of lipid membranes on controlled curvature substrates to the development of innovative membrane-based nanosensors.

U2 - 10.1021/nl500926y

DO - 10.1021/nl500926y

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 24971634

SN - 1530-6984

VL - 14

SP - 4286

EP - 4292

JO - Nano Letters

JF - Nano Letters

IS - 8

ER -