title: Effect of poly(ethylene glycol) on the Ca2+-induced fusion of didodecyl phosphate vesicles.
abstract: This paper reports a study of the effect of the dehydrating agent poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) on didodecyl phosphate (DDP) bilayers and on the fusion activity of DDP vesicles as a function of the molecular weight of PEG. PEG 8K in a concentration of 10 wt % does not induce fusion. However, Ca2+-induced fusion is promoted as reflected by a lowering of the Ca2+ threshold concentration. This effect can most likely be attributed to the dehydrating capacity of the polymer. Interestingly, low concentrations (0.1 wt %) of PEG 20 K induce a moderate fusion capacity. At higher concentrations (0.5 wt %) fusion is inhibited, irrespective of the presence of Ca2+. These molecular weight dependent effects can be rationalized by taking into account that the clouding temperature differs for PEGs of different molecular weights. In the case of PEG 20K a microscopic phase separation will occur at the bilayer-water interface because PEG-PEG interactions and presumably PEG-DDP interactions are favored over PEG-water interactions. As a consequence, the DDP vesicle surface becomes covered with PEG 20K, resulting in a steric stabilization of the vesicles. This will impede or prevent, depending on the polymer concentration, the vesicles from approaching each other sufficiently close for fusion to occur.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Rupert
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Engberts
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hoekstra
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D004735:Energy Transfer; D007700:Kinetics; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008954:Models, Biological; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D010755:Organophosphates; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D010755:Organophosphates; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C052807:didodecyl phosphate; D002118:Calcium