Iván López-Montero

Bio: Iván López-Montero is an academic researcher from Complutense University of Madrid. The author has contributed to research in topics: Membrane & Vesicle. The author has an hindex of 24, co-authored 61 publications receiving 1547 citations. Previous affiliations of Iván López-Montero include Centre national de la recherche scientifique & Spanish National Research Council.

Shear rheology of lipid monolayers and insights on membrane fluidity.

Abstract: The concept of membrane fluidity usually refers to a high molecular mobility inside the lipid bilayer which enables lateral diffusion of embedded proteins. Fluids have the ability to flow under an applied shear stress whereas solids resist shear deformations. Biological membranes require both properties for their function: high lateral fluidity and structural rigidity. Consequently, an adequate account must include, in addition to viscosity, the possibility for a nonzero shear modulus. This knowledge is still lacking as measurements of membrane shear properties have remained incomplete so far. In the present contribution we report a surface shear rheology study of different lipid monolayers that model distinct biologically relevant situations. The results evidence a large variety of mechanical behavior under lateral shear flow.

Na+ controls hypoxic signalling by the mitochondrial respiratory chain

Abstract: All metazoans depend on the consumption of O2 by the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system (OXPHOS) to produce energy. In addition, the OXPHOS uses O2 to produce reactive oxygen species that can drive cell adaptations1–4, a phenomenon that occurs in hypoxia4–8 and whose precise mechanism remains unknown. Ca2+ is the best known ion that acts as a second messenger9, yet the role ascribed to Na+ is to serve as a mere mediator of membrane potential10. Here we show that Na+ acts as a second messenger that regulates OXPHOS function and the production of reactive oxygen species by modulating the fluidity of the inner mitochondrial membrane. A conformational shift in mitochondrial complex I during acute hypoxia11 drives acidification of the matrix and the release of free Ca2+ from calcium phosphate (CaP) precipitates. The concomitant activation of the mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ exchanger promotes the import of Na+ into the matrix. Na+ interacts with phospholipids, reducing inner mitochondrial membrane fluidity and the mobility of free ubiquinone between complex II and complex III, but not inside supercomplexes. As a consequence, superoxide is produced at complex III. The inhibition of Na+ import through the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger is sufficient to block this pathway, preventing adaptation to hypoxia. These results reveal that Na+ controls OXPHOS function and redox signalling through an unexpected interaction with phospholipids, with profound consequences for cellular metabolism. Na+ controls the function of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system and hypoxic redox signalling through an unexpected interaction with phospholipids.

Polymersomes: smart vesicles of tunable rigidity and permeability

Abstract: We report an experimental study on the mechanical and permeability properties of giant polymersomes made of diblock (PBD–PEO) and triblock (PEO–PPO–PEO) copolymers. These polymer amphiphiles bear the architecture and macromolecular dimensions adequate for assembling stable flat bilayers with a different hydrophobicity. In the highly hydrophobic case (PBD–PEO) an extremely compact membrane is formed, resulting in rigid polymersomes which represent a permeability barrier against solute transport across. In the case of water soluble PEO–PPO–PEO triblock copolymers, the bilayer structure is less stable in favour of the micellar state; therefore giant vesicles can be solely formed at large PPO contents. These cases (Pluronics® L121 and its mixtures with P85 and P105) are characterised by a much lower chain entangling than highly hydrophobic membranes, their polymersomes being softer than those based on PBD–PEO. Pluronic-based polymersomes are also found to be highly permeable to hydrophilic solutes, even remaining undamaged in the case of an extreme osmotic shock. This high permeability together with their high flexibility endows Pluronics polymersomes smart core/shell properties ideal to catch large biomolecules inside and able to resist under osmotic and mechanical stresses.

疟原虫var基因转换速率变化导致抗原变异[英]／Paul H, Robert P, Christodoulou Z, et al//Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Abstract: 抗原变异可使得多种致病微生物易于逃避宿主免疫应答。表达在感染红细胞表面的恶性疟原虫红细胞表面蛋白1（PfPMP1）与感染红细胞、内皮细胞、树突状细胞以及胎盘的单个或多个受体作用，在黏附及免疫逃避中起关键的作用。每个单倍体基因组var基因家族编码约60种成员，通过启动转录不同的var基因变异体为抗原变异提供了分子基础。

Membrane lipids: where they are and how they behave.

Abstract: Throughout the biological world, a 30 A hydrophobic film typically delimits the environments that serve as the margin between life and death for individual cells. Biochemical and biophysical findings have provided a detailed model of the composition and structure of membranes, which includes levels of dynamic organization both across the lipid bilayer (lipid asymmetry) and in the lateral dimension (lipid domains) of membranes. How do cells apply anabolic and catabolic enzymes, translocases and transporters, plus the intrinsic physical phase behaviour of lipids and their interactions with membrane proteins, to create the unique compositions and multiple functionalities of their individual membranes?

Stochastic Processes in Physics and Chemistry

Abstract: N G van Kampen 1981 Amsterdam: North-Holland xiv + 419 pp price Dfl 180 This is a book which, at a lower price, could be expected to become an essential part of the library of every physical scientist concerned with problems involving fluctuations and stochastic processes, as well as those who just enjoy a beautifully written book. It provides an extensive graduate-level introduction which is clear, cautious, interesting and readable.

Principles of bioactive lipid signalling: lessons from sphingolipids

Abstract: It has become increasingly difficult to find an area of cell biology in which lipids do not have important, if not key, roles as signalling and regulatory molecules. The rapidly expanding field of bioactive lipids is exemplified by many sphingolipids, such as ceramide, sphingosine, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), ceramide-1-phosphate and lyso-sphingomyelin, which have roles in the regulation of cell growth, death, senescence, adhesion, migration, inflammation, angiogenesis and intracellular trafficking. Deciphering the mechanisms of these varied cell functions necessitates an understanding of the complex pathways of sphingolipid metabolism and the mechanisms that regulate lipid generation and lipid action.

Molecular self-assembly and nanochemistry: A chemical strategy for the synthesis of nanostructures

Abstract: Molecular self-assembly is the spontaneous association of molecules under equilibrium conditions into stable, structurally well-defined aggregates joined by noncovalent bonds. Molecular self-assembly is ubiquitous in biological systems and underlies the formation of a wide variety of complex biological structures. Understanding self-assembly and the associated noncovalent interactions that connect complementary interacting molecular surfaces in biological aggregates is a central concern in structural biochemistry. Self-assembly is also emerging as a new strategy in chemical synthesis, with the potential of generating nonbiological structures with dimensions of 1 to 10(2) nanometers (with molecular weights of 10(4) to 10(10) daltons). Structures in the upper part of this range of sizes are presently inaccessible through chemical synthesis, and the ability to prepare them would open a route to structures comparable in size (and perhaps complementary in function) to those that can be prepared by microlithography and other techniques of microfabrication.