Generation of interconnected vesicles in a liposomal cell model.

We introduce an experimental method based upon a glass micropipette microinjection technique for generating a multitude of interconnected vesicles (IVs) in the interior of a single giant unilamellar phospholipid vesicle (GUV) serving as a cell model system. The GUV membrane, consisting of a mixture of soybean polar lipid extract and anionic phosphatidylserine, is adhered to a multilamellar lipid vesicle that functions as a lipid reservoir. Continuous IV formation was achieved by bringing a micropipette in direct contact with the outer GUV surface and subjecting it to a localized stream of a Ca2+ solution from the micropipette tip. IVs are rapidly and sequentially generated and inserted into the GUV interior and encapsulate portions of the micropipette fluid content. The IVs remain connected to the GUV membrane and are interlinked by short lipid nanotubes and resemble beads on a string. The vesicle chain-growth from the GUV membrane is maintained for as long as there is the supply of membrane material and Ca2+ solution, and the size of the individual IVs is controlled by the diameter of the micropipette tip. We also demonstrate that the IVs can be co-loaded with high concentrations of neurotransmitter and protein molecules and displaying a steep calcium ion concentration gradient across the membrane. These characteristics are analogous to native secretory vesicles and could, therefore, serve as a model system for studying secretory mechanisms in biological systems.

Lipid vesicle composition influences the incorporation and fluorescence properties of the lipophilic sulphonated carbocyanine dye SP-DiO.

Lipophilic carbocyanine dyes are widely used as fluorescent cell membrane probes in studies ranging from biophysics to cell biology. While they are extremely useful for qualitative observation of lipid structures, a major problem impairing quantitative studies is that the chemical environment of the lipid bilayer affects both the dye's insertion efficiency and photophysical properties. We present a systematic investigation of the sulphonated carbocyanine dye 3,3'-dioctadecyl-5,5'-di(4-sulfophenyl) (SP-DiO) and demonstrate how its insertion efficiency into pre-formed lipid bilayers and its photophysical properties therein determine its apparent fluorescence intensity in different lipid environments. For this purpose, we use large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) made of lipids with distinct chain unsaturation, acyl chain length, head group charge, and with variation in membrane cholesterol content as models. Using a combination of absorbance, fluorescence emission, and fluorescence lifetime measurements we reveal that SP-DiO incorporates more efficiently into liquid disordered phases compared to gel phases. Moreover, incorporation into the latter phase is most efficient when the mismatch between the length of the lipid and dye hydrocarbon chains is small. Furthermore, SP-DiO incorporation is less efficient in LUVs composed of negatively charged lipids. Lastly, when cholesterol was included in the LUV membranes, we observed significant spectral shifts, consistent with dye aggregation. Taken together, our study highlights the complex interplay between membrane composition and labeling efficiency with lipophilic dyes and advocates for careful assessment of fluorescence data when attempting a quantitative analysis of fluorescence data with such molecules.