Effects of multivalent cations on bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) monolayer structure

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) is the main component (~75%) of the Gram-negative bacteria outer membrane which can trigger lethal septic shocks when released into a host’s bloodstream. Its anionic phosphorylated and carboxylated headgroup can be targeted by cations which affect the elastic properties and structural integrity of bacterial membranes. However, such interactions are not well understood and in particular there is a gap in your knowledge of the effects of trivalent cations. Such knowledge is of fundamental importance and also of practical implications, as trivalent cations could be exploited to compromise bacterial membrane structures. Here, we propose a Neutron reflectivity (NR) study of the effects of the cations with different valence and ionic radius (Ca2+, Fe3+ and La3+) on LPS monolayers at the LB air-water interface, varying the surface pressure and the temperature.