Self-assembly of actin scaffolds at ponticulin-containing supported phospholipid bilayers.

Phospholipid vesicles containing ponticulin have been used to form solid supported and tethered bilayer lipid membranes. The ponticulin serves as both a nucleation site for actin polymerization as well as a binding site for F-actin. Studies of F-actin binding to such bilayers have demonstrated the formation of an in vitro actin scaffold. The dissociation constant for the binding of F-actin filaments to a ponticulin-containing tethered bilayer was found to be 11 +/- 5 nM, indicative of high affinity binding.