Overview
- The study, published June 15, 2026, introduced a fluorescence single‑vesicle microscopy method that identifies vesicles with one fluorescent scramblase and tracks lipid movement from that single protein.
- Researchers embed tagged scramblases in tiny lipid spheres, image them on glass, and use analytical criteria to select vesicles containing only one scramblase so they can measure each protein’s scrambling rate.
- Measurements of VDAC1 dimers showed wide heterogeneity, with individual dimers moving fewer than 100 to more than 1,000 lipids per second, pointing to conformations that differ in transport ability.
- The team found opsin molecules scramble lipids far faster than VDAC1 dimers, exceeding 10,000 lipids per second in single‑protein measurements.
- Authors say the tool will let labs test how membrane lipids or drug molecules change scramblase activity, link function to high‑resolution structure, and extend studies to related transporters, with work funded in part by NIH grant R01GM146011.