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T Feder

Publications and source records attributed to T Feder.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Adhesion-induced domain formation by interplay of long-range repulsion and short-range attraction force: a model membrane study.

We study the role of the interplay of specific and universal forces for the adhesion of giant vesicles on solid supported membranes. To model the situation of cell adhesion, we incorporated lipopolymers (phospholipids with polyethyleneoxide headgroups) as artificial glycocalix, whereas attractive lock-and-key forces are mimicked by incorporating biotinylated lipids into both membranes and by mediating the strong coupling through streptavidin. Adhesion is studied by quantitative reflection interference contrast microscopy (RICM), which enables visualization of the contact zone and reconstruction of the height profile of the membrane beyond the contact line (outside the contact zone) up to a height of 1 micron. We demonstrate that adhesion is accompanied by lateral phase separation, leading to the formation of domains of tight adhesion (adhesion plaques) separated by areas of weak adhesion exhibiting pronounced flickering. By analyzing the height profile S(x) near the contact line in terms of the tension equilibrium (Young equation) and the moment equilibrium, respectively, the adhesion energy and membrane tension can be approximately measured locally. We show that the adhesion energy is about three orders of magnitude larger for the adhesion plaques than for the weekly adhering regions. The adhesion is studied as a function of the excess area of the vesicle generated by temperature variation. A very remarkable finding is that increased excess area is not always stored in the contact area, but leads to the formation of microbuds (diameter approximately 2 microns).

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1995

Simultaneous cross-linking by two nontriggering bivalent ligands causes synergistic signaling of IgE Fc epsilon RI complexes.

We have used two bivalent ligands that bind IgE to study the relationship between the aggregation of receptors with high affinity for IgE (Fc epsilon RI) and the responses (receptor immobilization, Ca2+ influx, and degranulation) of rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells. One of these is a symmetric bivalent ligand, N,N'-bis[[epsilon-[(2,4-dinitrophenyl)amino]caproyl]-L-tyrosyl]-L- cystine ((DCT)2-cys), which binds specifically to the combining sites of a mAb anti-DNP IgE and efficiently cross-links cell surface IgE, but does not trigger significant degranulation or increases in intracellular Ca2+. Several lines of evidence, including lateral mobility measurements, indicate that this ligand preferentially forms stable cyclic complexes containing two (DCT)2-cys and two IgE. The second ligand is a mAb anti-IgE, B1E3, which causes lateral mobility changes consistent with dimerized IgE-Fc epsilon RI and also does not trigger increases in intracellular Ca2+ or degranulation. The two ligands together trigger robust responses. In the presence of B1E3, (DCT)2-cys causes immobilization of IgE-Fc epsilon RI in a broad concentration range; in a more narrow concentration range, it is a potent stimulant of changes in both degranulation and Ca2+. We have compared the dose-response curves for cellular activation to simulated IgE aggregation curves, i.e., curves that predict the equilibrium IgE aggregate size distribution as a function of the (DCT)2-cys concentration. Our results indicate that maximal cellular activation occurs at a much higher (DCT)2-cys concentration than maximal IgE aggregation. When IgE aggregation is maximal, almost all aggregated IgE is in cyclic dimers. Thus, cyclic dimers appear to be functionally ineffective, even after they have been cross-linked by B1E3. Aggregated IgE-Fc epsilon RI that is effective in stimulating a cellular response may have particular structural or dynamic properties that allow critical interactions for initiating the signaling cascade.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Budding, fission and domain formation in mixed lipid vesicles induced by lateral phase separation and macromolecular condensation.

Phase separation in vesicles of lipid mixtures creates an entirely new variety of shapes. The process may be described in terms of a combination of the theory of spinodal decomposition and the membrane bending energy concept. One major aspect discussed is the stabilization of domain structures in intrinsically unstable (phase segregated) states by the coupling between local bending and phase separation. A second topic is the role of interfacial tension for the stability of the domains. We show that vesicle fission is a consequence (1) of the reduction of the interfacial chemical energy or (2) of local phase separation within the neck connecting bud and mother vesicle. Finally, the formation of coated buds in giant vesicles caused by the lateral condensation of membrane-bound macromolecular amphiphiles is described.

Chemical Phenomena↗