Temperature-dependent morphological and phase behavior of sphingomyelin.
Aqueous dispersions of bovine brain sphingomyelin were studied as a function of temperature. 31P-NMR, X-ray diffraction, and negative-stain and freeze-fracture electron microscopy were used to determine the morphology and phase structure at several temperatures. 31P-NMR indicated a change in phase structure with an increase in temperature. Evidence was found only for the lamellar phase at all temperatures studied with X-ray diffraction. Electron microscopy unexpectedly revealed the spontaneous development of small unilamellar vesicles at elevated temperatures, consistent with the 31P-NMR data, in the absence of any outside disturbances.
D005614:Freeze Fracturing; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010758:Phosphorus; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000032:analysis*; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
D013109:Sphingomyelins; D010758:Phosphorus