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Science 17 June 1994:
Vol. 264. no. 5166, pp. 1753 - 1756
DOI: 10.1126/science.8209255
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Articles

Science, Vol 264, Issue 5166, 1753-1756
Copyright © 1994 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Higher order self-assembly of vesicles by site-specific binding

S Chiruvolu, S Walker, J Israelachvili, FJ Schmitt, D Leckband, and JA Zasadzinski

Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara 93106.

The association of lipid molecules into spherical vesicles in solution as a result of non-specific intermolecular forces constitutes a primary self-assembly process. Such vesicles can undergo a secondary self-assembly into higher order structures in a controlled and reversible manner by means of site-specific ligand-receptor (biotin-streptavidin) coupling. Cryoelectron microscopy shows these structures to be composed of tethered, rather than adhering, vesicles in their original, unstressed state. In contrast, vesicles aggregated by nonspecific, such as van der Waals, forces are deformed and stressed, producing unstable structures. Vesicle association by site-specific binding provides a practical mechanism for the production of stable, yet controllable, microstructured biomaterials.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Flat and sigmoidally curved contact zones in vesicle-vesicle adhesion.
P. Ziherl and S. Svetina (2007)
PNAS 104, 761-765
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Enhancement of Phototransduction Protein Interactions by Lipid Surfaces.
T. J. Melia, J. A. Malinski, F. He, and T. G. Wensel (2000)
J. Biol. Chem. 275, 3535-3542
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