Fluorescence Microscopic Visualization of Lipid Domains

本研究旨在确定脂链和磷脂头基团在红细胞膜和模型膜中类脂结构域形成中的相对重要性。将使用荧光数字成像显微镜和稳态荧光偏振技术。将合成或购买不同头基和酰基链的荧光标记磷脂，头基或酰链不同的对的分布将由这两种技术确定。有三种结果是可能的，应该可以解决这两种技术所获得的不同结果。所有细胞膜都含有被称为磷脂的化合物，它有两种截然不同的成分：一种是偏爱水的基团，因为它们有带电的部分；另一种是脂肪的成分。目前尚不清楚这两个组成部分是否同样重要，或者其中一个非常重要，而另一个则不那么重要。实验计划使用两种完全不同的技术。两者都测量了特殊标记的磷脂的环境。这些脂质的混合物将与模型膜和来自红细胞的膜一起使用，看看这两种成分在膜中的定位是否相同。

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.