Characterization of an anionic membrane mimetic with natural phospholipid content and magnetic orienting capabilities

Abstract

The cellular membrane is a highly complex and dynamical structure, with variable and inhomogeneous composition, which makes detailed structural studies a very difficult task. 2H-NMR has become one of the most useful tools for many of such studies, however this requires the use of simpler structures that behave as close as possible to the cellular membrane, i.e. membrane mimetics. In this article we present a new anionic nematic lyotropic liquid crystal, with an important content of a natural mixture of phospholipids isolated from soybean, which can be employed as membrane mimetic. The capability of the mesophase to spontaneously orient when exposed to an external magnetic field, enables it for studies about distribution, dynamics and mobility of mesophase components, as well as dissolved substrates, employing 2H-NMR. A 2H-NMR characterization of the mimetic is performed by using different deuterated probes. To validate its permeability properties as membrane, the permeating capability of Benzocaine and the inability of Levodopa to do so were tested. For an atomic detailed characterization of both, the new mimetic and the process of crossing the interface, we also present a molecular dynamics simulation calibrated to reproduce experimental 2H-NMR results.