30/05/2016

Virosome Engineering of Colloidal Particles and Surfaces: Bioinspired fusion to supported lipid layers.

Title: Virosome Engineering of Colloidal Particles and Surfaces: Bioinspired fusion to supported lipid layers.
Authors:

Fledermann J., Diamanti E., Azinas S., Kosutic M., Dahne L., Estrela-Lopis I., Amacker M.,Donath E. and Moya S.E. ;

Journal: Nanoscale, 8, 7933 - 7941 (2016)

Immunostimulating reconstituted influenza virosomes (IRIVs) are liposomes with functional viral envelope glycoproteins: influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase intercalated in the phospholipid bilayer. IRIVs are virus like nanoparticles similar to influenza virus envelopes but lacking any viral genetic material. The Soft Matter Nanotechnology Laboratory discovered that it is possible to fuse influenza virosomes on supported lipid membranes, both assembled on colloidal particles and planar surfaces. The fusion of the influenza virosomes is triggered by low pH, as occurring with influenza virus. IRIVs are fused to artificial supported lipid membranes assembled on polyelectrolyte multilayers assembled by means of the Layer by Layer technique. IRIVs were found to display a pH-dependent fusion mechanism, fusing at low pH, around 4, again in analogy to the influenza virus. Atomic Force Microscopy imaging shows that at low pH virosomes are integrated in the supported membrane displaying a reduced vertical thickness when they are fused at pH 4. Virosome fusion on supported membranes offers a novel strategy for the functionalization of supported membranes that can be used for the design of complex colloidal systems which can have applications in drug delivery or sensing devices.