Electrostatic interactions at charged lipid membranes. Kinetics of the electrostatically triggered phase transition.
Charged lipid membranes of dimyristoylmethylphosphatidic acid were mixed rapidly in a stopped-flow cell with protons or Ca2+ to compensate the charges and thereby trigger the ordered-fluid phase transition. The kinetics of the transition was studied by following the time development of the fluorescence anisotropy of diphenylhexatriene. A relaxation process was observed with a characteristic time in the range 10-200 ms. By comparison with existing theories of non-equilibrium relaxation it was concluded that the relaxation process is governed by a nucleation step.
D002118:Calcium; D004161:Diphenylhexatriene; D004563:Electrochemistry; D005454:Fluorescence Polarization; D020404:Glycerophospholipids; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D010712:Phosphatidic Acids; D013696:Temperature
D020404:Glycerophospholipids; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D010712:Phosphatidic Acids; D004161:Diphenylhexatriene; C029313:dimyristoylmethylphosphatidic acid; D002118:Calcium