Probing membrane asymmetry of ABC polymersomes

Membrane stabilization of biodegradable polymersomes.

Biodegradable polymersomes are promising vehicles for a range of applications. Their stabilization would improve many properties, including the retention and controlled release of polymersome contents, yet this has not been previously accomplished. Here, we present the first example of stabilizing fully biodegradable polymersomes through acrylation of the hydrophobic terminal end of polymersome...

An ABC transport system that maintains lipid asymmetry in the gram-negative outer membrane.

The outer membranes (OMs) of gram-negative bacteria have an asymmetric lipid distribution with lipopolysaccharides at the outer leaflet and phospholipids (PLs) at the inner leaflet. This lipid arrangement is essential for the barrier function of the OM and for the viability of most gram-negative bacteria. Cells with OM assembly defects or cells exposed to harsh chemical treatments accumulate PL...

Polymersomes.

Polymersomes are self-assembled polymer shells composed of block copolymer amphiphiles. These synthetic amphiphiles have amphiphilicity similar to lipids, but they have much larger molecular weights, so for this reason--along with others reviewed here--comparisons of polymersomes with viral capsids composed of large polypeptide chains are highly appropriate. We summarize the wide range of polym...

Plasma membrane phospholipid asymmetry.

Defining key roles for auxiliary proteins in an ABC transporter that maintains bacterial outer membrane lipid asymmetry

In Gram-negative bacteria, lipid asymmetry is critical for the function of the outer membrane (OM) as a selective permeability barrier, but how it is established and maintained is poorly understood. Here, we characterize a non-canonical ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter in Escherichia coli that provides energy for maintaining OM lipid asymmetry via the transport of aberrantly localized pho...