Biological membranes work as a platform for diverse cellular functions including signal transduction and energy conversion. We developed a model biological membrane on the solid substrate by combining a patterned lipid bilayer with a nanometric gap structure. A patterned polymeric bilayer was lithographically generated from polymerizable diacetylene phospholipid. Natural lipid bilayers having lateral fluidity were incorporated into the polymer-free regions by spontaneous spreading of vesicles. A nanometric gap structure (nanogap-junction) was created between the fluid bilayer and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sheet by attaching the surface of polymeric bilayer and PDMS using an adhesion layer with a defined thickness (e.g. silica nanoparticles). The nanogap-junction having a thickness smaller than 100 nm acted as a selective and sensitive analytical platform. From a mixture of proteins, the target protein was selectively transported into the gap by the specific binding and lateral diffusion, enabling to detect target molecules (e.g. biomarkers) with an elevated sensitivity.<br/>Model membrane in combination with a nanometric gap structure can be applied to a wide variety of membrane systems. We recently succeeded to reconstitute the light harvesting machinery of the plant thylakoid membrane. Furthermore, dopamine D2 receptor (D2R), a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) that plays critical roles in the neural functions, could be reconstituted in the nanometric cleft between substrate and PDMS. These finding points to a new possibility to use the nanometric space as a platform for reconstituting and studying membrane proteins under the quasi-physiological conditions, which is difficult to be created by other methods.

Model biological membrane reconstituted in a nanometric space

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.