SignificanceThe multifaceted involvement of GM1 as a ligand in many cellular functions has been well recognized. We find that GM1 readily desorbs from the membrane of cell-sized model biomimetic systems (giant unilamellar vesicles). The desorption is unbalanced, creating an asymmetry between the bilayer leaflets. This results in reshaping weakly curved membranes into nanotubular invaginations stabilized by the membrane spontaneous curvature, which we quantify experimentally. Computer simulations confirm the experimental results. Uncovering the role of GM1 as a fine regulator of membrane curvature broadens our perspective on its important function in reshaping neuronal membranes and emphasizes that GM1 desorption can strongly affect the cell membrane morphology.

Biological membranes possess intrinsic asymmetry. This asymmetry is associated not only with leaflet composition in terms of membrane species but also with differences in the cytosolic and periplasmic solutions containing macromolecules and ions. There has been a long quest for understanding the effect of ions on the physical and morphological properties of membranes. Here, we elucidate the changes in the mechanical properties of membranes exposed to asymmetric buffer conditions and the associated curvature generation. As a model system, we used giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) with asymmetric salt and sugar solutions on the two sides of the membrane. We aspirated the GUVs into micropipettes and attached small beads to their membranes. An optical tweezer was used to exert a local force on a bead, thereby pulling out a membrane tube from the vesicle. The assay allowed us to measure the spontaneous curvature and the bending rigidity of the bilayer in the presence of different ions and sugar. At low sugar/salt (inside/out) concentrations, the membrane spontaneous curvature generated by NaCl and KCl is close to zero, but negative in the presence of LiCl. In the latter case, the membrane bulges away from the salt solution. At high sugar/salt conditions, the membranes were observed to become more flexible and the spontaneous curvature was enhanced to even more negative values, comparable to those generated by some proteins. Our findings reveal the reshaping role of alkali chlorides on biomembranes.

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Near-infrared laser (785-nm)-excited Raman spectra from a red blood cell, optically trapped using the same laser beam, show significant changes as a function of trapping duration even at trapping power level of a few milliwatts. These changes in the Raman spectra and the bright-field images of the trapped cell, which show a gradual accumulation of the cell mass at the trap focus, suggest photoinduced aggregation of intracellular heme. The possible role of photoinduced protein denaturation and hemichrome formation in the observed aggregation of heme is discussed.