Development of a method for selectively imaging the inner and outer layers of the cell membrane

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26620141
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Bio-related chemistry
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Shirota Koichiro 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 小林脂質生物学研究室, 先任研究員 (00291071)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 脂質 / リポソーム / ラマン分光

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Lipid molecules of cell membranes are different in the inner and outer layers, and form domains in which the specific lipid molecules aggregate. In particular, the domains on the plasma membrane made of sphingolipid and cholesterol, which are termed lipid rafts, are drawing attention. Sphingomyelin (SM), which is typical "raft lipids", has both donor and acceptor of hydrogen bonds in the molecule, and can form hydrogen bonds between the molecules. Since Raman spectroscopy is a powerful analysis method for detecting intermolecular interactions such as hydrogen bonding, we applied it to determine the membrane distribution of SM molecules.

Free Research Field

有機材料光物性、液晶、ナノフォトニクス