John F. Nagle

Professor Emeritus

Education

Ph.D., Yale University
Postdoctoral Appointments, Kings College London and Cornell University

Research

The research in my laboratory is in the area of biomembranes. Current research focuses on x-ray scattering studies of lipid bilayers. One goal is to obtain more accurate values for average static parameters, such as the thickness of the hydrophobic region and the area per molecule. However, lipid bilayers and biomembranes are dynamic entities constantly undergoing fluctuations. Our second goal is to quantitate the molecular disorder in these partially ordered structures by measuring the diffuse scattering. We also perform density measurements and differential scanning calorimetry. These are combined with our x-ray results, as well as the results of NMR, infrared spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations obtained by collaborators elsewhere, to elucidate the molecular interactions responsible for determining the order/disorder properties. This involves modelling and statistical mechanics. The ultimate goal is to determine if there is a physical basis for the wide variety of naturally occurring lipids and to understand how the different lipids affect functioning biomembranes.

Publications

Tristram-Nagle S, Chan R, Kooijman E, Uppamoochikkal P, Qiang W, Weliky DP, Nagle JF. HIV fusion peptide penetrates, disorders and softens T-cell membrane mimics. J. Mol. Biol. in press, 2010.

Kucerka N, Katsaras J, Nagle JF. Comparing Membrane Simulations to Scattering Experiment: Introducing SIMtoEXP Software. J. Memb. Biol. 235, 43-50, 2010.

Tristram-Nagle S, Kim DJ, Akhunzada N, Kucerka N, Mathai JC, Katsaras J, Zeidel M, Nagle JF.  Structure and water permeability of fully hydrated diphytanoylPC. Chem. Phys. Lipids 163, 630-637, 2010.

Mills TT, Huang J, Feigenson GW, Nagle JF. Effects of Cholesterol and Unsaturated DOPC Lipid on Chain Packing of Saturated Gel-Phase DPPC Bilayers. Gen. Physiol. Biophys. 28, 126-139, 2009.

Guler SD, Ghosh DD, Pan J, Mathai JC, Zeidel ML, Nagle JF, Tristram-Nagle S. Effects of Ether Linkage on Lipid Bilayer Structure and Water Permeability. Chem. Phys. Lipids 160, 33-44, 2009.

Pan J, Tristram-Nagle S, Nagle JF. Alamethicin aggregation in lipid membranes. J. Membrane Biol. 231, 11-27, 2009.

Pan J, Tristram-Nagle S, Nagle JF. Effect of cholesterol on structural and mechanical properties of membranes depends on lipid chain saturation. Phys. Rev. E. 80, 021931(1-12), 2009.

Pan J, Tieleman DP, Nagle JF, Kucerka N, Tristram-Nagle S. Alamethicin in Lipid Bilayers: Combined Use of X-ray Scattering and MD Simulations. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1788, 1387-1397, 2009.

Pan J, Mills TT, Tristram-Nagle S, Nagle JF. Cholesterol perturbs lipid bilayers nonuniversally. Phys Rev Lett, 100(19):198103, 2008 May 16. Epub 2008 May 15.

Kucerka N, Nagle JF, Sachs JN, Feller SE, Pencer J, Jackson A and Katsaras J. Lipid bilayer structure determined by the simultaneous analysis of neutron and X-ray scattering data. Biophys J, 95(5):2356-67, 2008 Sep. Epub 2008 May 23.

Mills TT, Toombes GE, Tristram-Nagle S, Smilgies DM, Feigenson GW and Nagle JF. Order parameters and areas in fluid-phase oriented lipid membranes using wide angle X-ray scattering. Biophys J, 95(2):669-81, 2008 Jul. Epub 2008 Apr 4.

Mills TT, Tristram-Nagle S, Heberle FA, Morales NF, Zhao J, Wu J, Toombes GE, Nagle JF and Feigenson GW. Liquid-liquid domains in bilayers detected by wide angle X-ray scattering. Biophys J, 95(2):682-90, 2008 Jul. Epub 2008 Apr 4.

Greenwood AI, Pan J, Mills TT, Nagle JF, Epand RM and Tristram-Nagle S. CRAC motif peptide of the HIV-1 gp41 protein thins SOPC membranes and interacts with cholesterol. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1778(4):1120-30, 2008 Apr. Epub 2008 Jan 16.

Nagle JF, Mathai JC, Zeidel ML and Tristram-Nagle S. Theory of Passive Permeability through Lipid Bilayers. J. Gen. Physiol, 131:77-85, 2008.

Mathai JC, Tristram-Nagle S, Nagle JF and Zeidel ML. Structural Determinants of Water Permeability through the Lipid Membrane. J. Gen. Physiol,131:59-68, 2008.

See http://lipid.phys.cmu.edu/ for additional papers and downloading capability.