Release of content through mechano-sensitive gates in pressurized liposomes

Citation (APA 7)

Louhivuori, M., Risselada, H. J., van der Giessen, E., & Marrink, S. J. (2010). Release of content through mechano-sensitive gates in pressurized liposomes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(46), 19856-19860.

Abstract

Mechano-sensitive channels are ubiquitous membrane proteins that activate in response to increasing tension in the lipid membrane. They facilitate a sudden, nonselective release of solutes and water that safeguards the integrity of the cell in hypo- or hyper-osmotic shock conditions. We have simulated the rapid release of content from a pressurized liposome through a particular mechano-sensitive protein channel, MscL, embedded in the liposomal membrane. We show that a single channel is able to relax the liposome, stressed to the point of bursting, in a matter of microseconds. We map the full activation–deactivation cycle of MscL in near-atomic detail and are able to quantify the rapid decrease in liposomal stress as a result of channel activation. This provides a computational tool that opens the way to contribute to the rational design of functional nano-containers.