Scanning STED-FcS reveals spatiotemporal heterogeneity of lipid interaction in the plasma membrane of living cells

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Alf Honigmann - , Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer Institute) (Author)
  • Veronika Mueller - , Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer Institute) (Author)
  • Haisen Ta - , Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer Institute) (Author)
  • Andreas Schoenle - , Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer Institute) (Author)
  • Erdinc Sezgin - , University of Oxford (Author)
  • Stefan W. Hell - , Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer Institute) (Author)
  • Christian Eggeling - , Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer Institute), University of Oxford (Author)

Abstract

The interaction of lipids and proteins plays an important role in plasma membrane bioactivity, and much can be learned from their diffusion characteristics. Here we present the combination of super-resolution STED microscopy with scanning fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (scanning STED-FcS, sSTED-FcS) to characterize the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of lipid interactions. sSTED-FcS reveals transient molecular interaction hotspots for a fluorescent sphingolipid analogue. The interaction sites are smaller than 80 €‰nm in diameter and lipids are transiently trapped for several milliseconds in these areas. In comparison, newly developed fluorescent phospholipid and cholesterol analogues with improved phase-partitioning properties show more homogenous diffusion, independent of the preference for liquid-ordered or disordered membrane environments.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number5412
JournalNature communications
Volume5
Publication statusPublished - 2014
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

PubMed 25410140
ORCID /0000-0003-0475-3790/work/161889554