Specific recognition and formation of two- dimensional streptavidin domains in monolayers: applications to molecular devices

Abstract By virtue of the high-affinity specific interaction between the vitamin, biotin, and the protein, streptavidin, monolayers of synthetic lipids with biotin headgroups can tightly bind streptavidin at the lipid-water interface. Through this specific recognition fluorescently-labelled streptavidin spontaneously organizes in the plane of the interface to form large protein domains, directly visible in situ by fluorescence microscopy and exhibiting optical anisotropy. Further structural characterization has shown that these domains are two-dimensional protein crystals. Correlation with the known three-dimensional crystal structure of streptavidin indicates that two of streptavidin's fou…

Interaction between biotin lipids and streptavidin in monolayers: formation of oriented two-dimensional protein domains induced by surface recognition.

Highly specific ligand-receptor interactions generally characterize surface recognition reactions. Such processes can be simulated by streptavidin-biotin-specific binding. Biotin lipids have thus been synthesized, and their interaction with streptavidin (or avidin) at the air-water interface was directly shown by measurement of surface pressure isotherms and fluorescence microscopy. These proteins interact with the biotin lipid monolayer via specific binding or nonspecific adsorption. Both phenomena were clearly distinguished by use of the inactivated form of streptavidin. The binding of fluorescein-labeled streptavidin to monolayers was also directly observed by fluorescence microscopy. Th…

Protein interactions with ordered lipid films: Specific and unspecific binding

Modeling of Cell Membrane Targeting: Specific Recognition, Binding, and Protein Domain Formation in Ligand-Containing Model Biomembranes

Drug delivery systems are designed to assist, accelerate, and control transport of pharmacologically active agents from sites of administration to specified targets in organs and tissues. So-called controlled drug delivery systems are intended to maintain continuously efficacious drug concentrations in vivo, either locally or systemically, over longer time periods. They should provide constant dosage levels above a minimum level of efficacy yet below mandated toxicity levels — a significant advantage over many conventional systemically administered formulations. Site-specific targeting of drugs, particularly those agents which prove highly toxic in small doses, can be utilized to maintain t…

Specific Protein Binding to Functionalized Interfaces

We report on the characterization of specific binding reactions between streptavidin and biotinylated model membrane surfaces. Self-assembly techniques as well as the Langmuir-Blodgett-Kuhn method were employed to prepare reactive, functionalized surfaces on various solid supports in contact with the aqueous protein solution. Plasmon surface polaritons optical measurements as well as atomic force microscopy and studies with the surface forces apparatus give rather detailed information as to the streptavidin monolayer formation, the kinetics of this process (either binding site- or diffusion limited), the selectivity of the reaction at laterally heterogeneous membranes, and the involved inte…

Chemically driven phase separation in black lipid membranes and its coupling to membrane functions

Abstract We analysed the single-channel current fluctuations of gramicidin in bimolecular lipid membranes in order to demonstrate (i) the influence of protein binding to the lateral organisation of a mixed membrane, and (ii) how this couples to the function of the ionophore. Examples of phase separations induced by synthetic polyelectrolytes, as models for peripheral membrane proteins, and specific ligand-receptor interactions are presented and discussed in view of the important lateral order-function relationship in biomembranes.