ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal

Solid-supported lipid bilayers for studying mechanosensitive ion channels: to tether or not

Abstract: Bacterial membranes contain safety valves called mechanosensitive ion channels, which protect the bacterium from changes in the osmotic pressure of their environment. However, they also represent a possible achilles heal, which we may be able to exploit to help overcome the current rise in bacterial antimicrobial resistance. The ion channels could be actuated by a change in membrane tension caused by therapeutic molecules interacting with the membrane. We will develop a platform in which the ion channel is embedded in a model bacterial bilayer and either specifically tethered or not tethered at the surface. We will use the reflection of neutrons to probe if the addition of the therapeutic peptide causes a change in the curvature/tension of the bilayer in which the ion channels have been embedded and in doing so causes the channel to open, increasing the amount of water in the bilayer.

Principal Investigator: Dr Simon Titmuss
Experimenter: Dr Sophie Ayscough
Experimenter: Dr Maxmilian Skoda

DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB1810723

ISIS Experiment Number: RB1810723

Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation

The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher], [doi]

For Example:
Dr Simon Titmuss et al; (2018): Solid-supported lipid bilayers for studying mechanosensitive ion channels: to tether or not, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB1810723

Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.