TY - JOUR

T1 - Surface-Functionalized Polystyrene Nanoparticles Alter the Transmembrane Potential via Ion-Selective Pores Maintaining Global Bilayer Integrity

AU - Perini, D. Aurora

AU - Parra-Ortiz, Elisa

AU - Varó, Inmaculada

AU - Queralt-Martín, María

AU - Malmsten, Martin

AU - Alcaraz, Antonio

N1 - Funding Information: This study was funded by the Spanish Government MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 (project 2019-108434GB-I00 to A.A. and project IJC2018-035283-I to M.Q.-M.), Universitat Jaume I (project UJI-B2018-53 to A.A. and UJI-A2020-21 to M.Q.-M and D.A.P.), Generalitat Valenciana (project GRISOLIAP/2018/061 to D.A.P. and A.A., project AICO/2020/066 to A.A., and grant BEFPI/2020/040 to D.A.P.), the Swedish Research Council (grant numbers 2016-05157 and 2021-05498 to M.M.), the Independent Research Fund Denmark (grant number 9040-00020B to M.M. and E.P.-O.), and the LEO Foundation Center for Cutaneous Drug Delivery (grant number 2016-11-01 to M.M.).

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Although nanoplastics have well-known toxic effects toward the environment and living organisms, their molecular toxicity mechanisms, including the nature of nanoparticle-cell membrane interactions, are still under investigation. Here, we employ dynamic light scattering, quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, and electrophysiology to investigate the interaction between polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs) and phospholipid membranes. Our results show that PS NPs adsorb onto lipid bilayers creating soft inhomogeneous films that include disordered defects. PS NPs form an integral part of the generated channels so that the surface functionalization and charge of the NP determine the pore conductive properties. The large difference in size between the NP diameter and the lipid bilayer thickness (∼60 vs ∼5 nm) suggests a particular and complex lipid-NP assembly that is able to maintain overall membrane integrity. In view of this, we suggest that NP-induced toxicity in cells could operate in more subtle ways than membrane disintegration, such as inducing lipid reorganization and transmembrane ionic fluxes that disrupt the membrane potential.

AB - Although nanoplastics have well-known toxic effects toward the environment and living organisms, their molecular toxicity mechanisms, including the nature of nanoparticle-cell membrane interactions, are still under investigation. Here, we employ dynamic light scattering, quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, and electrophysiology to investigate the interaction between polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs) and phospholipid membranes. Our results show that PS NPs adsorb onto lipid bilayers creating soft inhomogeneous films that include disordered defects. PS NPs form an integral part of the generated channels so that the surface functionalization and charge of the NP determine the pore conductive properties. The large difference in size between the NP diameter and the lipid bilayer thickness (∼60 vs ∼5 nm) suggests a particular and complex lipid-NP assembly that is able to maintain overall membrane integrity. In view of this, we suggest that NP-induced toxicity in cells could operate in more subtle ways than membrane disintegration, such as inducing lipid reorganization and transmembrane ionic fluxes that disrupt the membrane potential.

U2 - 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02487

DO - 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02487

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36417698

AN - SCOPUS:85143056201

VL - 38

SP - 14837

EP - 14849

JO - Langmuir

JF - Langmuir

SN - 0743-7463

IS - 48

ER -