Testing membrane interactions of CPPs.

Abstract

The chapter deals with some biophysical methods used for investigating CPP-induced changes in membrane properties by spectroscopy methods such as fluorescence or NMR and methods used for probing CPP-induced leakage in membranes. Some useful model systems for biomembranes are described. These include large unilamellar phospholipid vesicles (LUVs) of well-defined size (diameter typically 100 nm). A protocol for the preparation of such vesicles is included. The leakage studies make use of LUVs with entrapped dye molecules. The NMR studies make use of mixed micelles (bicelles) as a membrane mimetic system, which can be oriented in the magnetic field of the spectrometer.