Membrane interaction between Span 80 vesicle and phospholipid vesicle (liposome): Span 80 vesicle can perturb and hemifuse with liposomal membrane

We have focused on the interaction between the Span 80 vesicle and phospholipid vesicle (liposome). The Span 80 vesicle was mixed with a phospholipid vesicle (liposome), used as a simplified model of plasma membrane. From calcein leakage experiments, it was revealed that the interaction between the Span 80 vesicles and the liposomes could perturb the liposome membrane. In the experiments based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer, the lipid mixing between Span 80 vesicle and liposome was observed. The above phenomena were also supported by the fluorescence spectroscopic analysis using laurdan, resulting in the variation in the membrane properties of liposome after its mixing with Span 80 vesicle. These results suggest that the Span 80 vesicles can easily interact and hemifuse with the liposome membrane, which depend on the membrane properties of the Span 80 vesicle, “flexible” and “molecular structure” of the components.

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► Span 80 vesicles could induce the remarkable perturbation of liposomal membrane at physiological pH condition.
► The above membrane perturbation resulted in the hemifusion.
► The membrane perturbation of liposome was induced without any fusogenic reagent.
► The interfacial property of Span 80 vesicle was advantageous for its hemifusion with liposome.