title: Dextran enhances calcium-induced aggregation of phosphatidylserine liposomes: possible implications for exocytosis.
abstract: We have studied the calcium-induced aggregation of phosphatidylserine liposomes in the presence of various concentration of a high-molecular water-soluble polysaccharide dextran. It has been shown that threshold concentrations of calcium necessary to induce liposome aggregation in the presence of approximately 1 mM concentration of dextran is about one order lower than in the absence of dextran. Soluble intracellular polymers may thus play an important role in the process of exocytosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics and Chemical Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Babincová
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Machová
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002417:Cattle; D003911:Dextrans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005089:Exocytosis; D008081:Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry*; D008561:Membrane Fusion / Q000187:drug effects; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; D010718:Phosphatidylserines / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D003911:Dextrans; D008081:Liposomes; D010718:Phosphatidylserines; D014867:Water; D002118:Calcium