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Dommer A, Wauer NA, Angle KJ, Davasam A, Rubio P, Luo M, Morris CK, Prather KA, Grassian VH, Amaro RE. Revealing the Impacts of Chemical Complexity on Submicrometer Sea Spray Aerosol Morphology. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2023; 9:1088-1103. [PMID: 37396863 PMCID: PMC10311664 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c00184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Sea spray aerosol (SSA) ejected through bursting bubbles at the ocean surface is a complex mixture of salts and organic species. Submicrometer SSA particles have long atmospheric lifetimes and play a critical role in the climate system. Composition impacts their ability to form marine clouds, yet their cloud-forming potential is difficult to study due to their small size. Here, we use large-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations as a "computational microscope" to provide never-before-seen views of 40 nm model aerosol particles and their molecular morphologies. We investigate how increasing chemical complexity impacts the distribution of organic material throughout individual particles for a range of organic constituents with varying chemical properties. Our simulations show that common organic marine surfactants readily partition between both the surface and interior of the aerosol, indicating that nascent SSA may be more heterogeneous than traditional morphological models suggest. We support our computational observations of SSA surface heterogeneity with Brewster angle microscopy on model interfaces. These observations indicate that increased chemical complexity in submicrometer SSA leads to a reduced surface coverage by marine organics, which may facilitate water uptake in the atmosphere. Our work thus establishes large-scale MD simulations as a novel technique for interrogating aerosols at the single-particle level.
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2
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Misuraca L, Winter R, Demé B, Oger PM, Peters J. Molecular Rearrangements in Protomembrane Models Probed by Laurdan Fluorescence. MEMBRANES 2023; 13:386. [PMID: 37103813 PMCID: PMC10144571 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13040386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Lipid membranes are a key component of living systems and have been essential to the origin of life. One hypothesis for the origin of life assumes the existence of protomembranes with ancient lipids formed by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. We determined the mesophase structure and fluidity of a prototypical decanoic (capric) acid-based system, a fatty acid with a chain length of 10 carbons, and a lipid system consisting of a 1:1 mixture of capric acid with a fatty alcohol of equal chain length (C10 mix). To shed light on the mesophase behavior and fluidity of these prebiotic model membranes, we employed Laurdan fluorescence spectroscopy, which reports on the lipid packing and fluidity of membranes, supplemented by small-angle neutron diffraction data. The data are compared with data of the corresponding phospholipid bilayer systems of the same chain length, 1,2-didecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DLPC). We demonstrate that the prebiotic model membranes capric acid and the C10 mix show formation of stable vesicular structures needed for cellular compartmentalization at low temperatures only, typically below 20 °C. They reveal the fluid-like lipid dynamic properties needed for optimal physiological function. High temperatures lead to the destabilization of the lipid vesicles and the formation of micellar structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loreto Misuraca
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Institut Laue Langevin, 38042 Grenoble, France
| | - Roland Winter
- Fakultät für Chemie und Chemische Biologie, Physikalische Chemie, Technische Universität Dortmund, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Bruno Demé
- Institut Laue Langevin, 38042 Grenoble, France
| | - Philippe M. Oger
- INSA Lyon, Université de Lyon, CNRS, UMR5240, 69100 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Judith Peters
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Institut Laue Langevin, 38042 Grenoble, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, 75005 Paris, France
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3
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Incorporation and localisation of alkanes in a protomembrane model by neutron diffraction. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2023; 1865:184119. [PMID: 36638951 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2023.184119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Protomembranes at the origin of life were likely composed of short-chain lipids, readily available on the early Earth. Membranes formed by such lipids are less stable and more permeable under extreme conditions, so a novel membrane architecture was suggested to validate the accuracy of this assumption. The model membrane includes the presence of a layer of alkanes in the mid-plane of the protomembrane in between the two monolayer leaflets and lying perpendicular to the lipid acyl chains. Here, we investigated such a possibility experimentally for membranes formed by the short-chain phospholipid 1,2-didecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phophocholine, including or not the alkanes eicosane, squalane or triacontane by means of neutron membrane diffraction and contrast variation. We found strong indications for incorporation of two of the three alkanes in the membrane mid-plane through the determination of neutron scattering length density profiles with hydrogenated vs deuterated alkanes and membrane swelling at various relative humidities indicating a slightly increased bilayer thickness when the alkanes are incorporated into the bilayers. The selectivity of the incorporation points out the role of the length of the n-alkanes with respect to the capacity of the membrane to incorporate them.
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4
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Sarkar S, Dagar S, Lahiri K, Rajamani S. pH-Responsive Self-Assembled Compartments as Tuneable Model Protocellular Membrane Systems. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200371. [PMID: 35968882 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Prebiotically plausible single-chain amphiphiles are enticing as model protocellular compartments to study the emergence of cellular life, owing to their self-assembling properties. Here, we investigated the self-assembly behaviour of mono-N-dodecyl phosphate (DDP) and mixed systems of DDP with 1-dodecanol (DDOH) at varying pH conditions. Membranes composed of DDP showed pH-responsive vesicle formation in a wide range of pH with a low critical bilayer concentration (CBC). Further, the addition of DDOH to DDP membrane system enhanced vesicle formation and stability in alkaline pH regimes. We also compared the high-temperature behaviour of DDP and DDP:DDOH membranes with conventional fatty acid membranes. Both, DDP and DDP:DDOH mixed membranes possess packing that is similar to decanoic acid membrane. However, the micropolarity of these systems is similar to phospholipid membranes. Finally, the pH-dependent modulation of different phospholipid membranes doped with DDP was also demonstrated to engineer tuneable membranes with potential translational implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susovan Sarkar
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, 411008, India
| | - Shikha Dagar
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, 411008, India
| | - Kushan Lahiri
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, 411008, India
| | - Sudha Rajamani
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, 411008, India
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5
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Cohen ZR, Todd ZR, Catling DC, Black RA, Keller SL. Prebiotic Vesicles Retain Solutes and Grow by Micelle Addition after Brief Cooling below the Membrane Melting Temperature. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:13407-13413. [PMID: 36278967 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c01842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Replication of RNA genomes within membrane vesicles may have been a critical step in the development of protocells on the early Earth. Cold temperatures near 0 °C improve the stability of RNA and allow efficient copying, while some climate models suggest a cold early Earth, so the first protocells may have arisen in cold-temperature environments. However, at cold temperatures, saturated fatty acids, which would have been available on the early Earth, form gel-phase membranes that are rigid and restrict mobility within the bilayer. Two primary roles of protocell membranes are to encapsulate solutes and to grow by incorporating additional fatty acids from the environment. We test here whether fatty acid membranes in the gel phase accomplish these roles. We find that gel-phase membranes of 10-carbon amphiphiles near 0 °C encapsulate aqueous dye molecules as efficiently as fluid-phase membranes do, but the contents are released if the aqueous solution is frozen at -20 °C. Gel-phase membranes do not grow measurably by micelle addition, but growth resumes when membranes are warmed above the gel-liquid transition temperature. We find that longer, 12-carbon amphiphiles do not retain encapsulated contents near 0 °C. Together, our results suggest that protocells could have developed within environments that experience temporary cooling below the membrane melting temperature, and that membranes composed of relatively short-chain fatty acids would encapsulate solutes more efficiently as temperatures approached 0 °C.
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6
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Misuraca L, Matsuo T, Cisse A, LoRicco J, Caliò A, Zanotti JM, Demé B, Oger P, Peters J. High temperature molecular motions within a model protomembrane architecture. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:15083-15090. [PMID: 35698855 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp01205g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Modern phospholipid membranes are known to be in a functional, physiological state, corresponding to the liquid crystalline phase, only under very precise external conditions. The phase is characterised by specific lipid motions, which seem mandatory to permit sufficient flexibility and stability for the membrane. It can be assumed that similar principles hold for proto-membranes at the origin of life although they were likely composed of simpler, single chain fatty acids and alcohols. In the present study we investigated molecular motions of four types of model membranes to shed light on the variations of dynamics and structure from low to high temperature as protocells might have existed close to hot vents. We find a clear hierarchy among the flexibilities of the samples, where some structural parameters seem to depend on the lipid type used while others do not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loreto Misuraca
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, 38000 Grenoble, France. .,Institut Laue Langevin, F-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Tatsuhito Matsuo
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, 38000 Grenoble, France. .,Institut Laue Langevin, F-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.,Institute for Quantum Life Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 2-4 Shirakata, Tokai, Ibaraki, 319-1106, Japan
| | - Aline Cisse
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, 38000 Grenoble, France. .,Institut Laue Langevin, F-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | | | - Antonio Caliò
- INSA Lyon, Université de Lyon, CNRS, UMR5240, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Jean-Marc Zanotti
- Laboratoire Léon Brillouin, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Bruno Demé
- Institut Laue Langevin, F-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Philippe Oger
- INSA Lyon, Université de Lyon, CNRS, UMR5240, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Judith Peters
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, 38000 Grenoble, France. .,Institut Laue Langevin, F-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.,Institut Universitaire de France, France
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7
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Misuraca L, Caliò A, LoRicco JG, Hoffmann I, Winter R, Demé B, Peters J, Oger PM. Alkanes as Membrane Regulators of the Response of Early Membranes to Extreme Temperatures. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:445. [PMID: 35330196 PMCID: PMC8949167 DOI: 10.3390/life12030445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the first steps in the origin of life was the formation of a membrane, a physical boundary that allowed the retention of molecules in concentrated solutions. The proto-membrane was likely formed by self-assembly of simple readily available amphiphiles, such as short-chain fatty acids and alcohols. In the commonly accepted scenario that life originated near hydrothermal systems, how these very simple membrane bilayers could be stable enough in time remains a debated issue. We used various complementary techniques such as dynamic light scattering, small angle neutron scattering, neutron spin-echo spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy to explore the stability of a novel protomembrane system in which the insertion of alkanes in the midplane is proposed to shift membrane stability to higher temperatures, pH, and hydrostatic pressures. We show that, in absence of alkanes, protomembranes transition into lipid droplets when temperature increases; while in presence of alkanes, membranes persist for longer times in a concentration-dependent manner. Proto-membranes containing alkanes are stable at higher temperatures and for longer times, have a higher bending rigidity, and can revert more easily to their initial state upon temperature variations. Hence, the presence of membrane intercalating alkanes could explain how the first membranes could resist the harsh and changing environment of the hydrothermal systems. Furthermore, modulating the quantity of alkanes in the first membranes appears as a possible strategy to adapt the proto-membrane behavior according to temperature fluctuations, and it offers a first glimpse into the evolution of the first membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loreto Misuraca
- University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, 38000 Grenoble, France;
- Institut Laue Langevin, 38042 Grenoble, France; (I.H.); (B.D.)
| | - Antonino Caliò
- INSA Lyon, Université de Lyon, CNRS, UMR5240, 69100 Villeurbanne, France; (A.C.); (J.G.L.)
| | - Josephine G. LoRicco
- INSA Lyon, Université de Lyon, CNRS, UMR5240, 69100 Villeurbanne, France; (A.C.); (J.G.L.)
| | - Ingo Hoffmann
- Institut Laue Langevin, 38042 Grenoble, France; (I.H.); (B.D.)
| | - Roland Winter
- Fakultät für Chemie und Chemische Biologie, Physikalische Chemie, Technische Universität Dortmund, 44227 Dortmund, Germany;
| | - Bruno Demé
- Institut Laue Langevin, 38042 Grenoble, France; (I.H.); (B.D.)
| | - Judith Peters
- University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, 38000 Grenoble, France;
- Institut Laue Langevin, 38042 Grenoble, France; (I.H.); (B.D.)
- Institut Universitaire de France, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Philippe M. Oger
- INSA Lyon, Université de Lyon, CNRS, UMR5240, 69100 Villeurbanne, France; (A.C.); (J.G.L.)
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8
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Kumar P, Sebők D, Kukovecz Á, Horváth D, Tóth Á. Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Metal-Ion-Modulated Chitosan Tubules. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:12690-12696. [PMID: 34672616 PMCID: PMC8567419 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c02097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Soft materials such as gels or biological tissues can develop via self-assembly under chemo-mechanical forces. Here, we report the instantaneous formation of soft tubular structures with a two-level hierarchy by injecting a mixture of inorganic salt and chitosan (CS) solution from below into a reactor filled with alkaline solution. Folding and wrinkling instabilities occur on the originally smooth surface controlled by the salt composition and concentration. Liesegang-like precipitation patterns develop on the outer surface on a μm length scale in the presence of calcium chloride, while the precipitate particles are distributed evenly in the bulk as corroborated by X-ray μ-CT. On the other hand, barium hydroxide precipitates out only in the thin outer layer of the CS tubule when barium chloride is introduced into the CS solution. Independent of the concentration of the weakly interacting salt, an electric potential gradient across the CS membrane develops, which vanishes when the pH difference between the two sides of the membrane diminishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawan Kumar
- Department
of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Szeged, Rerrich Béla tér 1., Szeged H-6720, Hungary
| | - Dániel Sebők
- Department
of Applied and Environmental Chemistry, University of Szeged, Rerrich Béla tér 1., Szeged H-6720, Hungary
| | - Ákos Kukovecz
- Department
of Applied and Environmental Chemistry, University of Szeged, Rerrich Béla tér 1., Szeged H-6720, Hungary
| | - Dezső Horváth
- Department
of Applied and Environmental Chemistry, University of Szeged, Rerrich Béla tér 1., Szeged H-6720, Hungary
| | - Ágota Tóth
- Department
of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Szeged, Rerrich Béla tér 1., Szeged H-6720, Hungary
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9
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Martin N, Douliez J. Fatty Acid Vesicles and Coacervates as Model Prebiotic Protocells. CHEMSYSTEMSCHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/syst.202100024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Martin
- Univ. Bordeaux CNRS Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal UMR 5031 115 Avenue du Dr. Albert Schweitzer 33600 Pessac France
| | - Jean‐Paul Douliez
- Univ. Bordeaux INRAE Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie UMR 1332 71 Avenue Edouard Bourlaux 33140 Villenave d'Ornon France
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10
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Salvador-Castell M, Golub M, Erwin N, Demé B, Brooks NJ, Winter R, Peters J, Oger PM. Characterisation of a synthetic Archeal membrane reveals a possible new adaptation route to extreme conditions. Commun Biol 2021; 4:653. [PMID: 34079059 PMCID: PMC8172549 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02178-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been proposed that adaptation to high temperature involved the synthesis of monolayer-forming ether phospholipids. Recently, a novel membrane architecture was proposed to explain the membrane stability in polyextremophiles unable to synthesize such lipids, in which apolar polyisoprenoids populate the bilayer midplane and modify its physico-chemistry, extending its stability domain. Here, we have studied the effect of the apolar polyisoprenoid squalane on a model membrane analogue using neutron diffraction, SAXS and fluorescence spectroscopy. We show that squalane resides inside the bilayer midplane, extends its stability domain, reduces its permeability to protons but increases that of water, and induces a negative curvature in the membrane, allowing the transition to novel non-lamellar phases. This membrane architecture can be transposed to early membranes and could help explain their emergence and temperature tolerance if life originated near hydrothermal vents. Transposed to the archaeal bilayer, this membrane architecture could explain the tolerance to high temperature in hyperthermophiles which grow at temperatures over 100 °C while having a membrane bilayer. The induction of a negative curvature to the membrane could also facilitate crucial cell functions that require high bending membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maksym Golub
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LiPhy, Grenoble, France
- Institut Laue Langevin, Grenoble, France
| | - Nelli Erwin
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Technische Universität Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Bruno Demé
- Institut Laue Langevin, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Roland Winter
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Technische Universität Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Judith Peters
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LiPhy, Grenoble, France.
- Institut Laue Langevin, Grenoble, France.
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11
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Misuraca L, Demé B, Oger P, Peters J. Alkanes increase the stability of early life membrane models under extreme pressure and temperature conditions. Commun Chem 2021; 4:24. [PMID: 36697785 PMCID: PMC9814696 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-021-00467-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Terrestrial life appeared on our planet within a time window of [4.4-3.5] billion years ago. During that time, it is suggested that the first proto-cellular forms developed in the surrounding of deep-sea hydrothermal vents, oceanic crust fractures that are still present nowadays. However, these environments are characterized by extreme temperature and pressure conditions that question the early membrane compartment's capability to endure a stable structural state. Recent studies proposed an adaptive strategy employed by present-day extremophiles: the use of apolar molecules as structural membrane components in order to tune the bilayer dynamic response when needed. Here we extend this hypothesis on early life protomembrane models, using linear and branched alkanes as apolar stabilizing molecules of prebiotic relevance. The structural ordering and chain dynamics of these systems have been investigated as a function of temperature and pressure. We found that both types of alkanes studied, even the simplest linear ones, impact highly the multilamellar vesicle ordering and chain dynamics. Our data show that alkane-enriched membranes have a lower multilamellar vesicle swelling induced by the temperature increase and are significantly less affected by pressure variation as compared to alkane-free samples, suggesting a possible survival strategy for the first living forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loreto Misuraca
- grid.4444.00000 0001 2112 9282Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, Grenoble, France ,grid.156520.50000 0004 0647 2236Institut Laue - Langevin, Grenoble, France
| | - Bruno Demé
- grid.156520.50000 0004 0647 2236Institut Laue - Langevin, Grenoble, France
| | - Philippe Oger
- grid.7849.20000 0001 2150 7757Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, CNRS UMR5240, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Judith Peters
- grid.4444.00000 0001 2112 9282Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, Grenoble, France ,grid.156520.50000 0004 0647 2236Institut Laue - Langevin, Grenoble, France
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