Detecting cholesterol changes in Lipid bilayers

SANCHEZ, S. A.; TRICERRI, M. A.; GRATTON, E.

Bioworld Europe

Año: 2007 vol. 1

Changes in membrane fluidity due to cholesterol manipulation can be followed by two-photon microscopy and the fluorescent dye Laurdan. The emission spectra of Laurdan shifts according to the water content in the membrane (related with membrane fluidity) and can be quantified using the Generalized Polarization parameter (GP). GP images give information about the lipid packing and are particularly useful in studies concerning segregation of cholesterol between different lipid phases or domains. The spatial resolution of this microscopic technique permits to follow simultaneously and independently the size and fluidity of each domain when the system is perturbed with cholesterol acceptors.