Polyelectrolyte-sensitized phospholipid vesicles

Abstract

Control of the structure and permeability of biological membranes is one of the most basic and least understood problems in contemporary biophysics. Diverse cellular processes require exquisite control of the membrane structure, including endocytosis and exocytosis, maintenance of the Golgi apparatus and the endoplasmic reticulum, and mitosis and meiosis, to mention just a few. Recently, significant progress has been made in controlling the permeability, and often the structures, of synthetic bilayer vesicles. These studies are especially important in that they help elucidate previously unimagined mechanisms for membrane control. Although no single model system is likely to utilize all of the rich capabilities exploited in nature, the synthetic systems can serve to identify concepts and mechanisms likely to be useful in a biological context. In addition, control of vesicular membrane systems may usher in novel chemistries for use in imaging, sensing, and therapeutic applications.

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