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Biophysical Journal Jul 2013Multiple data are available on the self-assembly of mixtures of bilayer-forming amphiphiles, particularly phospholipids and micelle-forming amphiphiles, commonly denoted... (Review)
Review
Multiple data are available on the self-assembly of mixtures of bilayer-forming amphiphiles, particularly phospholipids and micelle-forming amphiphiles, commonly denoted detergents. The structure of such mixed assemblies has been thoroughly investigated, described in phase diagrams, and theoretically rationalized in terms of the balance between the large spontaneous curvature of the curvophilic detergent and the curvophobic phospholipids. In this critical review, we discuss the mechanism of this process and try to explain the actual mechanism involved in solubilization. Interestingly, membrane solubilization by some detergents is relatively slow and the common attribute of these detergents is that their trans-bilayer movement, commonly denoted flip-flop, is very slow. Only detergents that can flip into the inner monolayer cause relatively rapid solubilization of detergent-saturated bilayers. This occurs via the following sequence of events: 1), relatively rapid penetration of detergent monomers into the outer monolayer; 2), trans-membrane equilibration of detergent monomers between the two monolayers; 3), saturation of the bilayer by detergents and consequent permeabilization of the membrane; and 4), transition of the whole bilayer to thread-like mixed micelles. When the detergent cannot flip to the inner monolayer, the outer monolayer becomes unstable due to mass imbalance between the monolayers and inclusion of the curvophilic detergent molecules in a flat surface. Consequently, the outer monolayer forms mixed micellar structures within the outer monolayer. Shedding of these micelles into the aqueous solution results in partial solubilization. The consequent leakage of detergent into the liposome results in trans-membrane equilibration of detergent and subsequent micellization through the rapid bilayer-saturation mechanism.
Topics: Detergents; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Lipid Bilayers; Liposomes; Micelles; Solubility
PubMed: 23870250
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.06.007 -
International Journal of Molecular... Nov 2022AQEE-30 is one of the VGF peptides, which are derived from the VGF polypeptide precursor, and related to various physiological phenomena including neuroprotective...
AQEE-30 is one of the VGF peptides, which are derived from the VGF polypeptide precursor, and related to various physiological phenomena including neuroprotective effects in Huntington's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Although various functions of AQEE-30 have been reported so far, the structure of this peptide has not been reported yet. In this study, the structure of human AQEE-30 was investigated in hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) and dodecyl phosphocholine (DPC) micelle solutions, using circular dichroism (CD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. CD results showed that AQEE-30 had a partial helical structure in aqueous buffer, and the helical structure was stabilized in the HFIP and DPC micelle solutions. The 3D structures determined by NMR spectroscopy showed that AQEE-30 adopted mainly α-helical structure in both the HFIP and DPC micelle solutions. The surface of AQEE-30 showed that it was predominantly negatively charged. The residues from 601 to 611 in both the HFIP and DPC micelle solutions showed amphiphilicity with four negatively charged residues, glutamate. The C-terminal consecutive arginine residues formed a partial positively charged surface. These results suggest an α-helical active structure of AQEE-30 in the cell-membrane environment.
Topics: Humans; Micelles; Neuropeptides; Circular Dichroism; Membranes; Peptides; Nerve Growth Factors
PubMed: 36430431
DOI: 10.3390/ijms232213953 -
International Journal of Molecular... Oct 2022Hybrid nanoarchitectures such as magnetic polymeric micelles (MPMs) are among the most promising nanotechnology-enabled materials for biomedical applications combining... (Review)
Review
Hybrid nanoarchitectures such as magnetic polymeric micelles (MPMs) are among the most promising nanotechnology-enabled materials for biomedical applications combining the benefits of polymeric micelles and magnetic nanoparticles within a single bioinstructive system. MPMs are formed by the self-assembly of polymer amphiphiles above the critical micelle concentration, generating a colloidal structure with a hydrophobic core and a hydrophilic shell incorporating magnetic particles (MNPs) in one of the segments. MPMs have been investigated most prominently as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as heat generators in hyperthermia treatments, and as magnetic-susceptible nanocarriers for the delivery and release of therapeutic agents. The versatility of MPMs constitutes a powerful route to ultrasensitive, precise, and multifunctional diagnostic and therapeutic vehicles for the treatment of a wide range of pathologies. Although MPMs have been significantly explored for MRI and cancer therapy, MPMs are multipurpose functional units, widening their applicability into less expected fields of research such as bioengineering and regenerative medicine. Herein, we aim to review published reports of the last five years about MPMs concerning their structure and fabrication methods as well as their current and foreseen expectations for advanced biomedical applications.
Topics: Contrast Media; Drug Delivery Systems; Hyperthermia, Induced; Micelles; Polymers; Precision Medicine
PubMed: 36233094
DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911793 -
International Journal of Nanomedicine 2022We designed a novel isoliquiritigenin (ISL) loaded micelle prepared with DSPE-PEG as the drug carrier modified with the brain-targeting polypeptide angiopep-2 to improve...
Long-Circulation and Brain Targeted Isoliquiritigenin Micelle Nanoparticles: Formation, Characterization, Tissue Distribution, Pharmacokinetics and Effects for Ischemic Stroke.
PURPOSE
We designed a novel isoliquiritigenin (ISL) loaded micelle prepared with DSPE-PEG as the drug carrier modified with the brain-targeting polypeptide angiopep-2 to improve the poor water solubility and low bioavailability of ISL for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke.
METHODS
Thin film evaporation was used to synthesize the ISL micelles (ISL-M) modified with angiopep-2 as the brain targeted ligands. The morphology of the micelles was observed by the TEM. The particle size and zeta potential were measured via the nanometer particle size analyzer. The drug loading, encapsulation and in vitro release rates of micelles were detected by the HPLC. The UPLC-ESI-MS/MS methods were used to measure the ISL concentrations of ISL in plasma and main tissues after intravenous administration, and compared the pharmacokinetics and tissue distributions between ISL and ISL-M. In the MCAO mice model, the protective effects of ISL and ISL-M were confirmed via the behavioral and molecular biology experiments.
RESULTS
The results showed that the drug loading of ISL-M was 7.63 ± 2.62%, the encapsulation efficiency was 68.17 ± 6.23%, the particle size was 40.87 ± 4.82 nm, and the zeta potential was -34.23 ± 3.35 mV. The in vitro release experiments showed that ISL-M had good sustained-release effect and pH sensitivity. Compared with ISL monomers, the ISL-M could significantly prolong the in vivo circulation time of ISL and enhance the accumulation in the brain tissues. The ISL-M could ameliorate the brain injury induced by the MCAO mice via inhibition of cellular autophagy and neuronal apoptosis. There were no the cellular structural damages and other adverse effects for ISL-M on the main tissues and organs.
CONCLUSION
The ISL-M could serve as a promising and ideal drug candidate for the clinical application of ISL in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke.
Topics: Animals; Brain; Chalcones; Ischemic Stroke; Mice; Micelles; Nanoparticles; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Tissue Distribution
PubMed: 35999993
DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S368528 -
International Journal of Hyperthermia :... 2012During the last decade, nanomedicine has emerged as a new field of medicine that utilises nanoscale materials for delivery of drugs, genes and imaging agents. The... (Review)
Review
During the last decade, nanomedicine has emerged as a new field of medicine that utilises nanoscale materials for delivery of drugs, genes and imaging agents. The efficiency of drug delivery may be enhanced by the application of directed energy, which provides for drug targeting and enhanced intracellular uptake. In this paper, we present a review of recent advances in the ultrasound-mediated drug delivery with the emphasis on polymeric micelles as tumour-targeted drug carriers. This new modality of drug targeting to tumours is based on the drug encapsulation in polymeric micelles followed by a localised release at the tumour site triggered by focused ultrasound. The rationale behind this approach is that drug encapsulation in micelles decreases systemic concentration of free drug and provides for a passive drug targeting to tumours via the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, therefore reducing unwanted drug interactions with healthy tissues. Ultrasound affects micellar drug delivery on various levels. Mild hyperthermia induced by ultrasound may enhance micelle extravasation into tumour tissue; mechanical action of ultrasound results in drug release from micelles and enhances the intracellular uptake of both released and encapsulated drug. In addition, polymeric micelles sensitise multidrug resistant (MDR) cells to the action of drugs.
Topics: Animals; Drug Delivery Systems; Humans; Micelles; Polymers; Sound; Ultrasonic Therapy
PubMed: 22621738
DOI: 10.3109/02656736.2012.665567 -
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces... Jun 2019Colloidal assemblies of phospholipids in oil are known to be highly sensitive to changes in system composition and temperature. Despite the fundamental biological and...
Colloidal assemblies of phospholipids in oil are known to be highly sensitive to changes in system composition and temperature. Despite the fundamental biological and high industrial relevance of these aggregates, the mechanisms behind the structural changes, especially in real oils, are not well understood. In this work, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was combined with molecular dynamics simulations to characterize the effects of oleic acid, water, and temperature on self-assembled structures formed by lecithin in rapeseed oil. SAXS showed that adding water to the mixtures caused the precipitation of liquid-crystalline phases with lamellar or hexagonal geometry. The combination of SAXS and molecular dynamics simulations revealed that stable spherical reverse micelles in oil had a core radius of about 2 nm and consisted of approximately 60 phospholipids centered around a core containing water and sugars. The presence of oleic acid improved the stability of reverse micelles against precipitation due to the increase in the water concentration in oil by allowing the reverse micelle cores to expand and accommodate more water. The shape and size of the reverse micelles changed at high temperatures, and irreversible elongation was observed, especially in the presence of oleic acid. The findings show the interdependency of the structure of the reverse micellar aggregates on system composition, in particular, oleic acid and water, as well as temperature. The revealed characteristics of the self-assembled structures have significance in understanding and tuning the properties of vegetable oil-based emulsions, food products, oil purification, and drug delivery systems.
Topics: Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; Micelles; Phospholipids; Plant Oils; Temperature; Water
PubMed: 31141381
DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b01135 -
PloS One 2013Micelle-forming detergents provide an amphipathic environment that can mimic lipid bilayers and are important tools for solubilizing membrane proteins for functional and...
Micelle-forming detergents provide an amphipathic environment that can mimic lipid bilayers and are important tools for solubilizing membrane proteins for functional and structural investigations in vitro. However, the formation of a soluble protein-detergent complex (PDC) currently relies on empirical screening of detergents, and a stable and functional PDC is often not obtained. To provide a foundation for systematic comparisons between the properties of the detergent micelle and the resulting PDC, a comprehensive set of detergents commonly used for membrane protein studies are systematically investigated. Using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), micelle shapes and sizes are determined for phosphocholines with 10, 12, and 14 alkyl carbons, glucosides with 8, 9, and 10 alkyl carbons, maltosides with 8, 10, and 12 alkyl carbons, and lysophosphatidyl glycerols with 14 and 16 alkyl carbons. The SAXS profiles are well described by two-component ellipsoid models, with an electron rich outer shell corresponding to the detergent head groups and a less electron dense hydrophobic core composed of the alkyl chains. The minor axis of the elliptical micelle core from these models is constrained by the length of the alkyl chain, and increases by 1.2-1.5 Å per carbon addition to the alkyl chain. The major elliptical axis also increases with chain length; however, the ellipticity remains approximately constant for each detergent series. In addition, the aggregation number of these detergents increases by ∼16 monomers per micelle for each alkyl carbon added. The data provide a comprehensive view of the determinants of micelle shape and size and provide a baseline for correlating micelle properties with protein-detergent interactions.
Topics: Carbon; Detergents; Lipid Bilayers; Macromolecular Substances; Micelles; Models, Molecular; Phosphorylcholine; Scattering, Small Angle
PubMed: 23667481
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062488 -
Sheng Wu Yi Xue Gong Cheng Xue Za Zhi =... Jun 2021Polymeric hydrogels have been widely researched as drug delivery systems, wound dressings and tissue engineering scaffolds due to their unique properties such as good...
Polymeric hydrogels have been widely researched as drug delivery systems, wound dressings and tissue engineering scaffolds due to their unique properties such as good biocompatibility, shaping ability and similar properties to extracellular matrix. However, further development of conventional hydrogels for biomedical applications is still limited by their poor mechanical properties and self-healing properties. Currently, nanocomposite hydrogels with excellent properties and customized functions can be obtained by introducing nanoparticles into their network, and different types of nanoparticles, including carbon-based, polymer-based, inorganic-based and metal-based nanoparticle, are commonly used. Nanocomposite hydrogels incorporated with polymeric micelles can not only enhance the mechanical properties, self-healing properties and chemical properties of hydrogels, but also improve the stability of micelles. Therefore, micelle-hydrogel nanocomposites have been recently considered as promising biomaterials. In this paper, the structure, properties and methods for preparation of the micelle-hydrogel nanocomposite systems are introduced, and their applications in drug delivery, wound treatment and tissue engineering are reviewed, aiming to provide reference for further development and application of the nanocomposites.
Topics: Biocompatible Materials; Hydrogels; Micelles; Nanocomposites; Polymers
PubMed: 34180208
DOI: 10.7507/1001-5515.202011024 -
FEBS Letters Aug 2022Casein micelles are extracellular polydisperse assemblies of unstructured casein proteins. Caseins are the major component of milk. Within casein micelles, casein... (Review)
Review
Casein micelles are extracellular polydisperse assemblies of unstructured casein proteins. Caseins are the major component of milk. Within casein micelles, casein molecules are stabilised by binding to calcium phosphate nanoclusters and, by acting as molecular chaperones, through multivalent interactions. In the light of such interactions, we discuss whether casein micelles can be considered as extracellular condensates formed by liquid-liquid phase separation. We analyse the sequence, structure and interactions of caseins in comparison with proteins forming intracellular condensates. Furthermore, we review the similarities between caseins and small heat-shock proteins whose chaperone activity is linked to phase separation of proteins. By bringing these observations together, we describe a regulatory mechanism for protein condensates, as exemplified by casein micelles.
Topics: Animals; Caseins; Intrinsically Disordered Proteins; Micelles; Milk; Molecular Chaperones; Protein Folding
PubMed: 35815989
DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14449 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jan 2023Nucleic acids have become important building blocks in nanotechnology over the last 30 years. DNA and RNA can sequentially build specific nanostructures, resulting in... (Review)
Review
Nucleic acids have become important building blocks in nanotechnology over the last 30 years. DNA and RNA can sequentially build specific nanostructures, resulting in versatile drug delivery systems. Self-assembling amphiphilic nucleic acids, composed of hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments to form micelle structures, have the potential for cancer therapeutics due to their ability to encapsulate hydrophobic agents into their core and position functional groups on the surface. Moreover, DNA or RNA within bio-compatible micelles can function as drugs by themselves. This review introduces and discusses nucleic acid-based spherical micelles from diverse amphiphilic nucleic acids and their applications in cancer therapy.
Topics: Humans; Micelles; Nucleic Acids; Drug Delivery Systems; RNA; DNA; Neoplasms; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
PubMed: 36675110
DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021592