[8p-S203-1~11] Interplay between experiments and molecular simulations in the field of nanobiotechnology

3:45 PM - 4:00 PM JST(6:45 AM - 7:00 AM UTC)

[8p-S203-6] Vesicle fusion induced by membrane potential formed by proton permeation

〇Yurika Inoue¹, Azusa Oshima², Kanta Tsumoto³, Aya Tanaka², Heya Akira¹, Koji Sumitomo¹ (1.Univ. of Hyogo, 2.NTT Basic Res. Labs., BMC, 3.Mie Univ.)

Keywords:

Membrane fusion,proton permeation,membrane potential

We investigated the control of membrane fusion by changing pH around vesicles. DNA encapsulated in vesicles (LUVs) containing acidic phospholipids were incorporated into giant vesicles (GUVs) by membrane fusion and detected by fluorescence detection. Replacing the external solution surrounding the GUV with an acidic one enables protons to permeate the membrane and enter the GUV. This makes the surface of the GUV membrane positively charged, which facilitates membrane fusion with the negatively charged, lipid-containing LUV. We aim to establish a vesicle model of transport by improving the efficiency and controllability of fusion.