Deciphering Melatonin-Stabilized Phase Separation in Phospholipid Bilayers

Langmuir. 2019 Sep 17;35(37):12236-12245. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b01534. Epub 2019 Sep 9.

Abstract

Lipid bilayers are fundamental building blocks of cell membranes, which contain the machinery needed to perform a range of biological functions, including cell-cell recognition, signal transduction, receptor trafficking, viral budding, and cell fusion. Importantly, many of these functions are thought to take place in the laterally phase-separated regions of the membrane, commonly known as lipid rafts. Here, we provide experimental evidence for the "stabilizing" effect of melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone produced by the brain's pineal gland, on phase-separated model membranes mimicking the outer leaflet of plasma membranes. Specifically, we show that melatonin stabilizes the liquid-ordered/liquid-disordered phase coexistence over an extended range of temperatures. The melatonin-mediated stabilization effect is observed in both nanometer- and micrometer-sized liposomes using small angle neutron scattering (SANS), confocal fluorescence microscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. To experimentally detect nanoscopic domains in 50 nm diameter phospholipid vesicles, we developed a model using the Landau-Brazovskii approach that may serve as a platform for detecting the existence of nanoscopic lateral heterogeneities in soft matter and biological materials with spherical and planar geometries.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Lipid Bilayers / chemistry*
  • Melatonin / chemistry*
  • Phospholipids / chemistry*

Substances

  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Phospholipids
  • Melatonin