Hydrophobic polyelectrolytes: An examination of their cooperative partitioning in a 2-phase oil/water system and lipid membrane interactions

Abstract

Hydrophobic polyelectrolytes (HPEs) are polymers that contain hydrophobic and chargeable groups. The chargeable groups can be weak acidic- or basic groups making the HPEs pH responsive. Due to the amphipathic nature of the HPEs, they can strongly interact with lipid bilayer membranes. Depending on the chain architecture and the type of membrane, it is possible for HPEs to solubilize membranes by forming nanodiscs, an ability which can be used to extract membrane proteins together with their native lipid environment. This research showed that the chainlenght of the HPEs can influence the sharpness of the transition in a 2 phase oil and water system. Brightfield- and fluorescent microscopy images showed that the polymer interacts with the membranes in a 3-11 pH range but was not able to solubilize them.