Photopolymerization of Polydiacetylene in Hybrid Liposomes: Effect of Polymerization on Stability and Response to Pathogenic Bacterial Toxins

• Published in: The journal of physical chemistry. B Vol. 118; no. 20; pp. 5418 - 5427
• Main Authors: Thet, Naing Tun, Jamieson, William David, Laabei, Maisem, Mercer-Chalmers, June D., Jenkins, A. Toby A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 22-05-2014
• Subjects: Bacteria; Bacterial Toxins - chemistry; Bacterial Toxins - metabolism; Cholesterol - chemistry; Degree of polymerization; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - chemistry; Fluorescent Dyes - chemistry; Lipids; Lipids - chemistry; Liposomes; Liposomes - chemistry; Liposomes - metabolism; PDA; Photopolymerization; Polyacetylenes - chemistry; Polymerization; Polymers - chemistry; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - metabolism; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; Stability; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus - metabolism; Time Factors; Toxins; Ultraviolet Rays
• ISSN: 1520-6106; 1520-5207
• DOI: 10.1021/jp502586b

Liposomes containing lipids and polydiacetylene (PDA) are hybrid systems encompassing both a fluid phospholipid membrane and a polymer scaffold (PDA). However, the biophysical role of PDA in such liposomes is not well understood. In this report, we studied the effects of photopolymerization of PDA on the stability of lipid–PDA liposomes, and their sensitivity to selected purified toxins and bacterial supernatants, using a fluorescence assay. Of the three different types of liposomes with variable lipid chain lengths that were chosen, the degree of polymerization had a significant impact on the long-term stability, and response, to external microbial exotoxins secreted by pathogenic bacteria, namely, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The degree of polymerization of TCDA played an important role in lipid-chain-length-dependent stabilization of lipid–PDA liposomes, as well as in their response to bacterial toxins of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa.