Figure 4.

The effect of M. fermentans lipids on the fusion of SUV with Molt-3 cells. Small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) were prepared by sonicating a buffer solution containing egg-phosphatidylcholine (about 5 mg per mL) with various amounts of the glycophospholipid MfGL-II or the ether lipids MfEL or lyso-MfEL [37] as previously described [39]. The SUVs were fluorescently labeled with the octadecyl rhodamine B chloride (R18). Fusion of SUV with T-lymphocytes of the human CD4⁺ Molt-3 was monitored by following the fluorescence intensity of the Molt-3 cells, and the results were presented as % dequenching [40]. (○): SUV alone; (●): SUV + MFGL-II; (□): SUV + MfEL; (■): SUV + lyso-MfEL.