Cubosome-Induced Topological Transformations in Giant Vesicles

25 February 2022, Version 1
This content is a preprint and has not undergone peer review at the time of posting.

Abstract

Lipid nanoparticles have important applications as biomedical delivery platforms and broader engineering biology applications in artificial cell technologies. These emerging technologies often require changes in the shape and topology of biological or biomimetic membranes. Here we show that topologically-active lyotropic liquid crystal nanoparticles (LCNPs) can trigger such transformations in the membranes of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). Monoolein (MO) LCNPs with an internal cubic nanostructure of space group Im3m incorporate into 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) GUVs creating excess membrane area with stored curvature stress. Using real-time fluorescence confocal microscopy, we observe and characterise various life-like dynamic events in these GUVs, including growth, division, tubulation, membrane budding and fusion. Our results shed new light on the interactions of LCNPs with bilayer lipid membranes, providing insights relevant to how these nanoparticles might interact with cellular membranes during drug delivery and highlighting their potential as minimal triggers of topological transitions in artificial cells.

Keywords

Artificial cells
Nanomedicine
Cubosomes
Vesicles
Lipids
Membrane remodelling
Lyotropic liquid crystal nanoparticles

Supplementary materials

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Supplementary Information File
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Extended methods, additional data, information about supporting videos.
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Supplementary Movie S1
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Transmembrane movement of a GUV. An intraluminal GUV first docks with the inner membrane of the parent GUV before hemifuision then crossing the parent GUV membrane to the extravesicular medium.
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Supplementary Movie S2
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Fission of a GUV. A mother vesicle fluctuates then undergoes several protrusion events before fission a vesicle occurs. Following this, the GUV returns to its initial spherical shape.
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Supplementary Movie S3
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Intraluminal vesicles formed by the fusion of internal lipid nanotubes.
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Supplementary Movie S4
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Intraluminal vesicles formed by the fusion of two individual GUVs.
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Supplementary Movie S5
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Intraluminal vesicles formed by the wrapping and intravesicular fusion of a GUV with a discocyte shape.
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