Engineering Confined Biomimetic Myelin Membranes for Phase-Controlled Remodeling and Real-Time Imaging
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: The myelin sheath is a densely packed, multilayered membrane whose concentric organization is essential for maintaining its structure and supporting efficient nerve function. Recreating this architecture in simplified phospholipid systems can help us understand how myelin forms, remodels, and becomes damaged. However, most existing biomimetic models produce tubular myelin figures and do not capture the characteristic concentric cross-section of native myelin. Here, we show that lipid phase, determined by the phase-transition temperature, directs the formation of distinct multilamellar architectures under identical confinement. Low-(Tm) DOPC forms conventional tubular myelin figures, whereas high-(Tm) DPPC follows a different assembly pathway, producing onion-like concentric structures that resemble native myelin cross-sections. Quantitative analysis reveals that these confined membranes expand toward a limiting size. DPPC assemblies also undergo bile-salt-induced remodeling, lipid recovery, and repeated reassembly, providing a dynamic model of membrane regeneration. In contrast, DOPC myelin figures undergo Fenton-induced lipid peroxidation, offering an oxidation-sensitive model of membrane damage relevant to demyelinating conditions. For real-time visualization, we developed amphiphilic nitrogen- and fluorine-codoped carbon dots with red and multicolor emission. Together, this platform enables direct investigation of myelin-like organization, remodeling, regeneration, and oxidative membrane damage.
Source: ChemRxiv
Institution: Indian Institute of Technology Indore
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7221778449