Cubosome-Induced Topological Transformations in Giant Vesicles

Lipid nanoparticles have important applications as biomedical delivery platforms and broader engineering biology applications in artificial cell technologies. These emerging technologies often require changes in the shape and topology of biological or biomimetic membranes. Here we show that topologically-active lyotropic liquid crystal nanoparticles (LCNPs) can trigger such transformations in the membranes of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). Monoolein (MO) LCNPs with an internal cubic nanostructure of space group Im3m incorporate into 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) GUVs creating excess membrane area with stored curvature stress. Using real-time fluorescence confocal microscopy, we observe and characterise various life-like dynamic events in these GUVs, including growth, division, tubulation, membrane budding and fusion. Our results shed new light on the interactions of LCNPs with bilayer lipid membranes, providing insights relevant to how these nanoparticles might interact with cellular membranes during drug delivery and highlighting their potential as minimal triggers of topological transitions in artificial cells.