NR determination of the structural profile of asymmetric myelin membranes and their interaction mechanism with Myelin Basic Protein (MBP)

Myelin is an asymmetric multilamellar membrane wrapped around the axons and consists of alternating extracellular and cytoplasmic leaflets. Any structural changes of the myelin sheath, mainly demyelination, are signatures of several inflammatory neurological disorders as Multiple Sclerosis (MS). We suggest generating flat asymmetric myelin membranes with intercalated MBP, which are suitable for Neutron Reflectometry (NR) analysis. We aim to obtain a precise measurement of the vertical membrane layer structure for both native and EAE (an accepted animal model for MS) compositions. From the differences between them important clues on the underlying biological processes of MS can be inferred. We also propose to carry do time-resolved NR to study the stability of the asymmetric membranes by assessing the flip-flop time scales.