Biomedical subjects

Sophie Pautot

Publications and source records attributed to Sophie Pautot.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Neuronal activation by GPI-linked neuroligin-1 displayed in synthetic lipid bilayer membranes.

We have characterized, in vitro, interactions between hippocampal neuronal cells and silica microbeads coated with synthetic, fluid, lipid bilayer membranes containing the glycosylphosphatidyl inositol (GPI)-linked extracellular domain of the postsynaptic membrane protein neuroligin-1. These bilayer-neuroligin-1 beads activated neuronal cells to form presynaptic nerve terminals at the point of contact in a manner similar to that observed for live PC12 cells, ectopically expressing the full length neuroligin-1. The synthetic membranes exhibited biological activity at neuroligin-1 densities of approximately 1 to 6 proteins/microm(2). Polyolycarbonate beads with neuroligin-1 covalently attached to the surface failed to activate neurons despite the fact that neuroligin-1 binding activity is preserved. This implies that a lipid membrane environment is likely to be essential for neuroligin-1 activity. This technique allows the study of isolated proteins in an environment that has physical properties resembling those of a cell surface; proteins can diffuse freely within the membrane, retain their in vivo orientations, and are in a nondenatured state. In addition, the synthetic membrane environment affords control over both lipid and protein composition. This technology is easily implemented and can be applied to a wide variety of cellular studies.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Neuronal synapse interaction reconstituted between live cells and supported lipid bilayers.

In the nervous system, homophilic and heterophilic adhesion molecules participate in the induction and differentiation of presynaptic transmitter release sites. We focus on the heterophilic interaction between postsynaptic neuroligin-1 (Nlg) and presynaptic beta-neurexin (Nrx). Nlg has previously been shown to trigger presynaptic differentiation in a Nrx-expressing axon even when presented on a non-neuronal cell or on beads coated with lipid bilayers. We have now developed a new method to measure single molecule and ensemble distribution of Nrx and Nlg at the contact site between a non-neuronal Nrx-expressing cell and a flat supported glycosylphosphoinositol-neuroligin-1 (GPI-Nlg) lipid bilayer and relate them to adhesion as measured by cell migration and gravity dissociation. We find that within minutes after cell-bilayer contact, Nrx accumulates at the contact site and the contact area is expanded. The strength of cell-bilayer adhesion depends on the morphology of Nrx accumulation, with the focal concentration strengthening adhesion. The results suggest that Nlg-Nrx interaction rapidly establishes a weak, but specific, adhesion between dynamic pre- and postsynaptic processes, which may ultimately require additional molecules for synapse stabilization.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Engineering asymmetric vesicles.

Vesicles are bilayers of lipid molecules enclosing a fixed volume of aqueous solution. Ubiquitous in cells, they can be produced in vitro to study the physical properties of biological membranes and for use in drug delivery and cosmetics. Biological membranes are, in fact, a fluid mosaic of lipids and other molecules; the richness of their chemical and mechanical properties in vivo is often dictated by an asymmetric distribution of these molecules. Techniques for vesicle preparation have been based on the spontaneous assembly of lipid bilayers, precluding the formation of such asymmetric structures. Partial asymmetry has been achieved only with chemical methods greatly restricting the study of the physical and chemical properties of asymmetric vesicles and their use in potential applications for drug delivery. Here we describe the systematic engineering of unilamellar vesicles assembled with two independently prepared monolayers; this process produces asymmetries as high as 95%. We demonstrate the versatility of our method by investigating the stability of the asymmetry. We also use it to engineer hybrid structures comprised of an inner leaflet of diblock copolymer and an independent lipid outer leaflet.

Fluorescence↗

PubMed2003

Ordering of water molecules between phospholipid bilayers visualized by coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy.

We demonstrate ordered orientation of the hydration water at the surface of phospholipid bilayers by use of coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy, a highly sensitive vibrational imaging method recently developed. We investigated negatively charged POPS (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-l-serine) and neutral POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) multilamellar onions dispersed in deuterated dodecane. The imaging contrast based on the CARS signal from the H2O stretching vibration shows a clear dependence on the excitation field polarization. Our results provide direct experimental evidence that water molecules close to the phospholipid bilayer surface are ordered with the symmetry axis along the direction normal to the bilayer. Moreover, the amount of ordered water molecules depends on the lipid polar group. The spectral profile for the inter-lamellar water shows that the water molecules bound to the bilayer surface are less hydrogen-bonded and exhibit a higher vibrational frequency than bulk water.

In Vitro Techniques↗