title: Purification and characterization of a liposomal-forming tetraether lipid fraction.
abstract: Polar lipid E, PLE, a native tetraether lipid mixture from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius is shown to spontaneously form multilamellar liposomes in aqueous media. PLE lipids were isolated as a single fraction from the crude lipid extract of S. acidocaldarius on a reverse-phase column followed by TLC and methanol precipitation. The methanol-precipitated mixture was able to form liposomes, whereas the non-precipitated material did not. It has thus been demonstrated, for the first time, that tetraether lipids from S. acidocaldarius can form liposomes, per se, in aqueous media.
authors.affiliation: Geo-Centers, Newton Upper Falls, MA 02164.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D005583:Fourier Analysis; D008055:Lipids / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008081:Liposomes; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D008081:Liposomes