This paper demonstrates a microfluidic system that automates i) formation of a lipid bilayer at the interface between a pair of nanoliter-sized aqueous droplets in oil, ii) exchange of one droplet of the pair to form a new bilayer, and iii) current measurements on single proteins. A new microfluidic architecture is introduced - a set of traps designed to localize the droplets with respect to ea...

Treatment with nontoxic monophosphoryl lipid A increased the magnitude of the immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody response to type III pneumococcal polysaccharide in young (2- to 4-week-old) mice. This was accompanied by the appearance of significant numbers of IgG1- and IgG3- secreting antibody-forming cells in 4-week-old mice. These findings indicate that monophosphoryl lipid A can be used as an ...

Reconstruction and interpretation of lipid bilayer structure from X-ray scattering often rely on assumptions regarding the molecular distributions across the bilayer. It is usually assumed that changes in head-head spacings across the bilayer, as measured from electron density profiles, equal the variations in hydrocarbon thicknesses. One can then determine the structure of a bilayer by compari...

Using oriented circular dichroism, we have found that magainin adopts an alpha-helical conformation with two distinct orientations when interacting with a lipid bilayer. At low concentrations, magainin is absorbed parallel to the membrane surface. However, at high concentrations, magainin is inserted into the membrane. This transition occurs at roughly the same critical concentration required f...

Deletion of Mycobacterium marinum MMAR2333 resulted in the loss of three of four subclasses of lipooligosaccharides (LOSs). The mutant was unable to extend an intermediate (LOS-II*) by addition of caryophyllose. These data and the predicted domain structure suggest that MMAR2333 is a glycosyltransferase involved in the generation of a lipid-linked caryophyllose donor.

The adhesion bonds connecting a lipid bilayer to an underlying surface may undergo a condensation transition resulting from an interplay between a short range attractive potential between them, and a long range fluctuation-induced potential of mean force. Here, we use computer simulations of a coarse-grained molecular model of supported lipid bilayers to study this transition in confined membra...

The channel activity of gramicidin A in free-standing planar lipid bilayers with different charges of polar head groups and various lengths of hydrocarbon tails were analyzed in terms of the channel conductance, the lifetime of channel events and the magnitude of integrated currents. The channel activity of gramicidin A in lipid bilayers is tunable by adjusting the membrane composition. The in ...

The structure of lactose permease from Escherichia coli in its lipid environment was studied by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The protein exhibits an alpha-helical content of about 65% and about 25% beta-sheet. Unusually fast hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange to 90-95% completion suggests a structure that is highly accessible to the aqueous phase. An avera...

Monazomycin (a positively charged, polyene-like antibiotic) induces voltage-dependent conductance changes in lipid bilayer membranes when added to one of the bathing solutions. These conductance changes have generally been attributed to the existence of channels spanning the membrane. In this article we characterize the behavior of the individual conductance events observed when adding small am...

Background Common perception for nocturnal eating has deemed food off-limits during this time due to the potential health implications associated with increased food intake and lack of physical activity during sleep. However, given that macronutrients elicit different effects on metabolism, appetite and cardiometabolic health, it is possible that protein may be optimal for consumption in the ev...