Bicelles methods

Artificial biomembrane mimetic model systems are used to characterize peptide-membrane interactions using a wide range of methods. Herein, we present the use of selected membrane model systems to investigate peptide-membrane interactions. We describe methods for the preparation of various membrane mimetic media. Our applications will focus on small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) and large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) as well as on media more suited for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques, micelles, and fast-tumbling two-component bilayered micelles (bicelles). 

Faham, S., and J.U. Bowie (2002) Bicelle crystallization a new method for crystallizing membrane proteins yields a monomeric bacteriorhodopsin structure. J. Mol. Biol. 316, 1-6. 

Liposomes occur in nature, but can also be easily synthesized in the laboratory. Depending on the preparation method used, whioh influenoes their size — in relation to the number of bilayer shells — and physical properties, liposomes are olassified as small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs, 25-50 nm), large unilamellar vesioles (LUVs, 100 nm to 1 pm), giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs, 1.0-200 pm) multilamellar vesioles (MLVs, 0.1-15 pm), and multi-vesicular vesicles (MWs, 1.6-10.5 pm) the last consists of several small vesicles. Bicelles, which contain surfactant molecules in the lipid bilayer, constitute a special type of liposome. 

This chapter presents a summary of manuscripts published in the perissod of June 2011-June 2012 focusing on the use of NMR techniques to elucidate the microstructure and dynamics of self-assembling systems. In section 2 reviews and articles on general methods and models have been included. In section 3 the papers on thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystals, phospholipids, vesicles and bicelles have been covered. Section 4 has been devoted to micellar solutions including ionic and non ionic surfactant systems, polymer amphiphiles and mixed amphiphiles systems. 

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