Fluorescence Microscopic Visualization of Lipid Domains

本研究旨在确定在红细胞膜和模型膜中脂质结构域形成过程中酰基链和磷脂头基团的相对重要性。将使用荧光数字成像显微镜和稳态荧光偏振技术。将合成或购买在头基团和酰基链上不同的荧光标记磷脂，并且在头基团或酰基链上不同的对的分布将由两种技术确定。三种结果是可能的，并且应该允许解决由两种技术获得的不同结果。所有细胞膜都含有一种叫做磷脂的化合物，它有两种不同的成分：一类是喜欢水的，因为它们有带电的部分；另一类是脂肪的成分。目前尚不清楚这两个组成部分是否同等重要，还是其中一个非常重要而另一个不那么重要。实验计划使用两种完全不同的技术。两者都测量特殊标记的磷脂的环境。这些脂质混合物将与模型膜和来自红细胞的膜一起使用，看看这两种成分是否对膜中的定位有同样的贡献。

This proposal is to determine the relative importance of acyl chains and phospholipid head groups in the formation of lipid domains in erythrocyte membranes and model membranes. Fluorescence digital imaging microscopy and steady state fluorescence polari- zation techniques will be used. Fluorescently labeled phospholipids which differ in head groups and acyl chains will be synthesized or purchased, and the distribution of pairs differing in either head groups or acyl chains will be determined by both techniques. Three results are possible, and should allow resolution of disparate results obtained by the two techniques. %%% All cellular membranes contain compounds known as phospholipids, which have two distinct components: groups which prefer water, because they have charged parts, and groups which are components of fats. It is not clear whether the two components are equally impor- tant, or whether one is very important and the other is less so. Experiments are planned using two quite different techniques. Both measure the environment of specially labeled phospholipids. Mixtures of these lipids will be used with model membranes and membranes from red blood cells, to see if both components contribute equally to positioning in the membranes or not.