Stimuli-Responsive Membrane Anchor Peptide Nanofoils for Tunable Membrane Association and Lipid Bilayer Fusion

• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c11946
• Publication Date: 2022-12-06T20:47:34Z
• Authors: Vignesh Udyavara ...; Tünde Juhász; Mayra Quemé-Peña; Imola Cs. Szigyártó; Dóra Bogdán; András Wacha; Judith Mihály; Loránd Románszki; Zoltán Varga; Joakim Andréasson; István Mándity; Tamás Beke-Somfai
• Keywords: Photoswitch; Merocyanine; POPC

Self-assembled peptide nanostructures with stimuli-responsive features are promising as functional materials. Despite extensive research efforts, water-soluble supramolecular constructs that can interact lipid membranes in a controllable way still challenging to achieve. Here, we have employed short membrane anchor protein motif (GLFD) and coupled it spiropyran photoswitch. Under physiological conditions, these conjugates assemble into ∼3.5 nm thick, foil-like bilayer morphologies. Photoisomerization from the closed spiro (SP) form open merocyanine (MC) of photoswitch triggers rearrangements within foils. This results substantial changes their membrane-binding properties, which also varies sensitively composition, ranging reversible nanofoil reformation stepwise adsorption. The formed layers assembly able attach various liposomes different surface charges, enabling fusion bilayers. SP-to-MC conversion be used both trigger modulate liposome efficiency.