Biomimetic systems
Fig.: Breakdown of lamellar order in a myelin model membrane upon drying. The irreversible collapse of the molecular organisation of the artificial myelin sheath was monitored by neutron reflectivity.
Myelin is the insulating multilayered protein/lipid sheath, wrapped around the axon of a neuron. It is essential for the proper functioning, i.e. signal transduction along the axon. In diseases such as multiple sclerosis, the myelin membrane is broken down, and signal conduction is disrupted. Myelin basic protein (MBP) is a major protein component of the myelin sheath, and it is thought to be of fundamental importance to the formation, compaction, and stability of the latter. Neutron reflectivity measurements were used to track assembly and breakdown of organized multilayers from MBP and lipids.
Read more: Haas, H.; Steitz, R.; Fasano, A.; Liuzzi, G. M.; Polverini, E.; Cavatorta, P.; Riccio, P., Laminar order within Langmuir-Blodgett multilayers from phospholipid and myelin basic protein: A neutron reflectivity study. Langmuir 2007, 23, (16), 8491-8496
