Ceramide EOS in bicelles: Biophysical implications for membrane organization

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Ceramide EOS in bicelles: Biophysical implications for membrane organization
Authors: Millán-Sánchez, Aina, Loza-Rodríguez, Noèlia, López, Olga
Contributors: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas https://ror.org/02gfc7t72
Publisher Information: Elsevier
Publication Year: 2025
Collection: Digital.CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas / Spanish National Research Council)
Subject Terms: Phospholipid nanosystems, Bicelles, Biophysical characterization, Ceramides, CryoTEM, Lipid self-assembly, http://metadata.un.org/sdg/9, http://metadata.un.org/sdg/3, Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Description: Ceramides play crucial roles in membrane function and structure. Ceramide EOS (CerEOS) is essential in forming the skin intercellular lipid lamellae and its absence causes an impaired skin barrier, leading to skin disorders such as Autosomal Recessive Congenital Ichthyosis. Despite its biological relevance, CerEOS' biophysical impact in phospholipid membranes remains poorly understood. These critical insights are particularly relevant in the design of new therapeutic lipid-based formulations aimed at restoring barrier function. The present work examines how CerEOS, an ultra-long chain acylceramide, and Ceramide IIIB (CerIIIB), a medium-chain ceramide, modulate the properties of phospholipid bilayers. Using bicelles as a model nanosystem, we specifically address how the incorporation of those ceramides affects bicelle size, morphology, thermotropic behavior and phospholipid membrane organization. Ten bicellar systems were prepared with DPPC or DMPC, DHPC, and CerEOS or CerIIIB in two different concentrations. DLS and CryoTEM analyses revealed that ceramide chain length and concentration crucially impact bicelles morphology, as well as the structure of the bicellar system, with CerEOS inducing bicelle stacking and more pronounced nanostructural changes. DSC, SAXS and WAXS measurements showed that ceramide incorporation increases thermotropic complexity and bicelle thickness due to the formation of ceramide enriched domains. CerEOS promotes the formation of different membrane domains and disordered lateral packing symmetries. Notably, this is the first study to examine the effects of CerEOS in phospholipid-based bicelles. Our findings highlight the importance of chain length mismatch and hydrogen bonding in lipid organization, and demonstrate that bicelles offer a robust platform for elucidating ceramide-phospholipid interactions. ; The authors sincerely thank Dr. Sonia Pérez from the Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry Laboratory Service at the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia for her expert technical ...
Document Type: article in journal/newspaper
Language: English
ISSN: 01677322
Relation: Journal of Molecular Liquids; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2025.128369; Sí; Journal of Molecular Liquids 437, Part A: 128369 (2025); https://hdl.handle.net/10261/398946; https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/105014289757
DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2025.128369
Availability: https://hdl.handle.net/10261/398946
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2025.128369
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/105014289757
Rights: info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Accession Number: edsbas.1F96DF50
Database: BASE
Description
Abstract:Ceramides play crucial roles in membrane function and structure. Ceramide EOS (CerEOS) is essential in forming the skin intercellular lipid lamellae and its absence causes an impaired skin barrier, leading to skin disorders such as Autosomal Recessive Congenital Ichthyosis. Despite its biological relevance, CerEOS' biophysical impact in phospholipid membranes remains poorly understood. These critical insights are particularly relevant in the design of new therapeutic lipid-based formulations aimed at restoring barrier function. The present work examines how CerEOS, an ultra-long chain acylceramide, and Ceramide IIIB (CerIIIB), a medium-chain ceramide, modulate the properties of phospholipid bilayers. Using bicelles as a model nanosystem, we specifically address how the incorporation of those ceramides affects bicelle size, morphology, thermotropic behavior and phospholipid membrane organization. Ten bicellar systems were prepared with DPPC or DMPC, DHPC, and CerEOS or CerIIIB in two different concentrations. DLS and CryoTEM analyses revealed that ceramide chain length and concentration crucially impact bicelles morphology, as well as the structure of the bicellar system, with CerEOS inducing bicelle stacking and more pronounced nanostructural changes. DSC, SAXS and WAXS measurements showed that ceramide incorporation increases thermotropic complexity and bicelle thickness due to the formation of ceramide enriched domains. CerEOS promotes the formation of different membrane domains and disordered lateral packing symmetries. Notably, this is the first study to examine the effects of CerEOS in phospholipid-based bicelles. Our findings highlight the importance of chain length mismatch and hydrogen bonding in lipid organization, and demonstrate that bicelles offer a robust platform for elucidating ceramide-phospholipid interactions. ; The authors sincerely thank Dr. Sonia Pérez from the Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry Laboratory Service at the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia for her expert technical ...
ISSN:01677322
DOI:10.1016/j.molliq.2025.128369